Fabrication and Characterization of Aluminum Matrix Composite Tubes Reinforced with Continuous Glass Fibers via Filament Winding Method

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Faculty of Materials and Manufacturing Technologies, Malek Ashtar University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.

2 Department of Aerospace Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

3 Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran

Abstract

This study investigates the fabrication of aluminum matrix composite (AMC) tubes reinforced with continuous glass fibers using the filament winding technique. Owing to the weak wettability and poor interfacial bonding between molten aluminum and glass fibers, surface modification of the fibers was employed to enhance fiber–matrix interaction. For this purpose, an electroless nickel–phosphorus (Ni–P) coating was deposited on the glass fibers from an acidic bath. The coated fibers were subsequently heat treated at 300 °C, 370 °C, and 450 °C. The structural and thermal characteristics of the coatings, both as-deposited and heat-treated, were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). XRD was used to identify the formation of crystalline phases upon heat treatment, while FESEM revealed the coating morphology and fiber–matrix interface in the final composite. DSC analysis assessed the thermal stability of untreated and heat-treated coatings at filament winding temperatures. Filament winding was performed into molten pure aluminum using uncoated, coated (without heat treatment), and heat-treated fibers. Additionally, winding was carried out into molten A356 aluminum alloy using coated fibers with and without heat treatment. The results indicated that optimal winding performance occurs near the alloy’s solidification temperature. Among the tested conditions, the Ni–P coating heat treated at 450 °C exhibited superior wettability and bonding characteristics for integration with molten aluminum.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Ultrafine Grained and Nanostructured Materials
Volume 59, Issue 1
June 2026
Pages 161-185

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History

  • Receive Date: 01 January 2026
  • Revise Date: 23 February 2026
  • Accept Date: 25 April 2026

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