A method for manufacturing carbon fiber reinforced aluminum composites is provided. Particularly, the method uses a stir casting process during a melting and casting process and reduces a contact angle of carbon against aluminum by inputting carbon fibers while supplying a current to liquid aluminum to induce the carbon fibers to be spontaneously and uniformly distributed in the liquid aluminum and inhibits a formation of an aluminum carbide (Al.sub.4C.sub.3) phase on an interface between the aluminum and the carbon fiber, thereby manufacturing carbon fiber reinforced aluminum composites having excellent electrical, thermal and mechanical characteristics.

A method of forming an aircraft component includes providing an aluminum alloy. The method further includes mixing a shape memory alloy (SMA) with the aluminum alloy to form a combination of the SMA and the aluminum alloy. The method further includes forming the aircraft component with the combination of the SMA and the aluminum alloy.

The present disclosure discloses a continuous electrophoretic deposition modified carbon fiber reinforced multi-matrix composite and a preparation method thereof, composing of a carbon fiber with a volume fraction of 30-55%, an inorganic powder with a volume fraction of 3-25% and a matrix with a volume fraction of 20-67%, wherein the inorganic powder is wrapped on the surface of the carbon fiber filament or embedded in the carbon fiber bundle, and the concentration gradually decreases from the fiber filament to the surface of the fiber bundle. The preparation method of the composite is as follows: (1) pretreating the carbon fibers; (2) preparing a slurry of the inorganic powder; (3) widening the pretreated carbon fiber to form a carbon fiber strip, and then carrying out electrophoretic deposition on the inorganic powders; (4) preparing a preform from the deposited carbon fibers; and (5) compounding a matrix in the preform.

The present disclosure discloses a continuous electrophoretic deposition modified carbon fiber reinforced multi-matrix composite and a preparation method thereof, composing of a carbon fiber with a volume fraction of 30-55%, an inorganic powder with a volume fraction of 3-25% and a matrix with a volume fraction of 20-67%, wherein the inorganic powder is wrapped on the surface of the carbon fiber filament or embedded in the carbon fiber bundle, and the concentration gradually decreases from the fiber filament to the surface of the fiber bundle. The preparation method of the composite is as follows: (1) pretreating the carbon fibers; (2) preparing a slurry of the inorganic powder; (3) widening the pretreated carbon fiber to form a carbon fiber strip, and then carrying out electrophoretic deposition on the inorganic powders; (4) preparing a preform from the deposited carbon fibers; and (5) compounding a matrix in the preform.

Composite materials include a non-ferrous metal matrix with reinforcing carbon fiber integrated into the matrix. The composite materials have substantially lower density than non-ferrous metal, and are expected to have appreciable strength. Methods for forming composite non-ferrous metal composites includes combining a reinforcing carbon fiber component, such as a woven polymer, with non-ferrous metal nanoparticles and sintering the non-ferrous metal nanoparticles in order to form a non-ferrous metal matrix with reinforcing carbon fiber integrated therein.

Disclosed herein is a composite comprising a metal alloy matrix; where the metal alloy matrix comprises aluminum in an amount greater than 50 atomic percent; a first metal and a second metal; where the first metal is different from the second metal; and where the metal alloy matrix comprises a low temperature melting phase and a high temperature melting phase; where the low temperature melting phase melts at a temperature that is lower than the high temperature melting phase; and a contracting constituent; where the contracting constituent exerts a compressive force on the metal alloy matrix at a temperature between a melting point of the low temperature melting phase and a melting point of the high temperature melting phase or below the melting points of the high and low temperature melting phases.

Disclosed herein is a composite comprising a metal alloy matrix; where the metal alloy matrix comprises aluminum in an amount greater than 50 atomic percent; a first metal and a second metal; where the first metal is different from the second metal; and where the metal alloy matrix comprises a low temperature melting phase and a high temperature melting phase; where the low temperature melting phase melts at a temperature that is lower than the high temperature melting phase; and a contracting constituent; where the contracting constituent exerts a compressive force on the metal alloy matrix at a temperature between a melting point of the low temperature melting phase and a melting point of the high temperature melting phase or below the melting points of the high and low temperature melting phases.

Apparatus and methods for additively manufactured structures with augmented energy absorption properties are presented herein. Three dimensional (3D) additive manufacturing structures may be constructed with spatially dependent features to create crash components. When used in the construction of a transport vehicle, the crash components with spatially dependent additively manufactured features may enhance and augment crash energy absorption. This in turn absorbs and re-distributes more crash energy away from the vehicle's occupant(s), thereby improving the occupants' safety.

Methods for fabricating high-strength aluminum-boron nitride nanotube (Al—BNNT) wires or wire feedstock from Al—BNNT composite raw materials by mechanical deformation using wire drawing and extrusion are provided, as well as large-scale, high-strength Al—BNNT composite components (e.g., with a length on the order of meters (m) and/or a mass on the order of hundreds of kilograms (kg)). The large-scale, high-strength Al—BNNT composite components can be made via wire-based additive manufacturing.

A structured multi-phase composite which include a metal phase, and a low stiffness, high thermal conductivity phase or encapsulated phase change material, that are arranged to create a composite having high thermal conductivity, having reduced/controlled stiffness, and a low CTE to reduce thermal stresses in the composite when exposed to cyclic thermal loads. The structured multi-phase composite is useful for use in structures such as, but not limited to, high speed engine ducts, exhaust-impinged structures, heat exchangers, electrical boxes, heat sinks, and heat spreaders.