Influence of macroscopic graphite particulates on the damping properties of Zn-Al eutectoid alloy

The paper presents in detail the effects of macroscopic graphite (Gr) particulates on the damping behavior of Zn-Al eutectoid alloy (Zn-Al). Macroscopic defects are graphite particulates with sizes of the order of a millimeter (0.5 mm and 1.0 mm). Macroscopic graphite particulate-reinforced Zn-Al eutectoid alloys were prepared by the air pressure infiltration process. The damping characterization was conducted on a multifunction internal friction apparatus (MFIFA). The internal friction (IF), as well as the relative dynamic modulus, was measured at different frequencies over the temperature range of 20 to 400°C. The damping capacity of the Zn-Al/Gr, with two different volume fractions of macroscopic graphite particulates, was compared with that of bulk Zn-Al eutectoid alloy. The damping capacity of the materials is shown to increase with increasing volume fraction of macroscopic graphite particulates. Two IF peaks were found in the IF-temperature curves. The first is a grain boundary peak, which is associated with the diffusive flux on a boundary between like phases, Al/Al. Its activation energy has been calculated to be 1.13±0.03 eV and the pre-exponential factor is 10⁻¹⁴ s in IF measurements. The second is a phase transition peak, which results from the transformation of Zn-Al eutectoid. In light of internal friction measurements and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experiments, its activation energy has been calculated to be 2.36±0.08 eV. Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province of China (Grant No. 0550050) and the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Education of China (Grant No. 13-3-B-04)