Open Access

Joél Schukraft, C. Pieper, Christoph Lohr, Kay A. Weidenmann

• An interpenetrating metal ceramic composite (IMCC), manufactured via gas pressure infiltration of AlSi10Mg melt into a open porous Al2O3-preform, was investigated upon the ability of self-healing. A specific damage is introduced into the IMCC first. Then microstructural investigations are carried out at the damaged samples and for self-healing treated samples. The nature of the interpenetrating structure is used to heat the composite above the solidus temperature of the metallic phase and provide a shape stability by the ceramic phase to melt the metal and fill the cracks formed before. The investigation is systematically compared to the results of the undamaged samples as well as the pre-damaged samples without treatment for self-healing. The microstructural results show a change in crack geometry and therefore the possibility of self-healing. Nevertheless, open questions in process control as well as parameter- optimization require further research to achieve microstructuralAn interpenetrating metal ceramic composite (IMCC), manufactured via gas pressure infiltration of AlSi10Mg melt into a open porous Al2O3-preform, was investigated upon the ability of self-healing. A specific damage is introduced into the IMCC first. Then microstructural investigations are carried out at the damaged samples and for self-healing treated samples. The nature of the interpenetrating structure is used to heat the composite above the solidus temperature of the metallic phase and provide a shape stability by the ceramic phase to melt the metal and fill the cracks formed before. The investigation is systematically compared to the results of the undamaged samples as well as the pre-damaged samples without treatment for self-healing. The microstructural results show a change in crack geometry and therefore the possibility of self-healing. Nevertheless, open questions in process control as well as parameter- optimization require further research to achieve microstructural improvement of the healed samples above the performance of the pre-damaged ones.…