Effects of ZnO coating on the damping and tensile properties of LiNbO3 particle-reinforced aluminum composite

An aluminum matrix composite reinforced by ZnO-coated LiNbO3 particles was fabricated using a pressure infiltration technique. The effect of the ZnO coating on the damping and tensile properties of the composite were investigated. The result shows that the damping capacity of the coated LiNbO3/ZL102 composite is 150% up compared with uncoated LiNbO3/ZL102 composite at room temperature. The reason is the ZnO coating causes more electrical energy converted into Jouleʹs heat resulting in the stronger piezo-damping and thus a better damping capacity. The ultimate tensile strength of the coated LiNbO3/ZL102 composite is 17% up on that of uncoated LiNbO3/ZL102 composite, which is ascribed to the increased load transfer from the matrix to the reinforcement due to the improved interfacial bonding with the help of the ZnO coating.