Herein, continuous carbon fibers (CFs) were coated with Ni coating by an optimized electroplating process to enhance the wettability between the aluminum (Al) matrix and CFs. Then, Ni-coated CFs were used as a reinforced phase to produce carbon fibers reinforced aluminum matrix (CF/Al) composites through the twin-roll casting method. The impact of electroplating time on the coating thickness of CFs is investigated, and the effect of preheat treatment and coating thickness on the mechanical properties of CFs is studied through microscopic analysis and tensile property tests. The results indicate that Ni coating and CFs were well bonded, and an optimum coating thickness is subsequently determined (0.6 μm) under appropriate electroplating time (4 min). In addition, the optimal preheat treatment parameters are 673 K in air for 30 s and immersed in the Al molten matrix (973 K for 30 s) immediately. Moreover, the uncoated CF/Al composites are studied to compare with the Ni-coated (0.6 μm) CF/Al composites from micromorphology, interfacial, and tensile tests. It is found that the presence of Ni coating can improve the mechanical properties. A twin-roll casting method is successfully developed to fabricate CF/Al composites, which have the advantages of short process, high efficiency, and continuous production.

中文翻译：

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双辊铸造法制备镀镍连续碳纤维增强纯铝基复合材料的显微组织和力学性能

在此，连续碳纤维 (CFs) 通过优化的电镀工艺涂覆有 Ni 涂层，以增强铝 (Al) 基体和 CFs 之间的润湿性。然后，以 Ni 包覆的 CFs 作为增强相，通过双辊铸造方法生产碳纤维增强铝基 (CF/Al) 复合材料。研究了电镀时间对碳纤维涂层厚度的影响，并通过显微分析和拉伸性能测试研究了预热处理和涂层厚度对碳纤维力学性能的影响。结果表明，Ni 涂层和 CFs 结合良好，随后在适当的电镀时间（4 分钟）下确定了最佳涂层厚度（0.6 μm）。此外，最佳的预热参数是空气中 673 K 30 秒，然后立即浸入铝熔体中（973 K 30 秒）。此外，还研究了未涂层的 CF/Al 复合材料，以从微观形貌、界面和拉伸测试中与 Ni 涂层 (0.6 μm) CF/Al 复合材料进行比较。发现Ni涂层的存在可以改善机械性能。成功开发了双辊铸造法制备CF/Al复合材料，具有流程短、效率高、连续生产等优点。