EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF SILICON CARBIDE REINFORCED ALUMINIUM METAL MATRIX COMPOSITE

Abstract

Composite is the material which basically consists of at least two chemically and physically distinct phases, suitably distributed to provide properties not obtainable with either of the individual phases. Metal matrix composite (MMC) represents the material of new generation with considerably improved mechanical properties. MMC made of aluminium metal reinforced with discontinuous particles are rapidly replacing the conventional material in various industrial and space applications. In present work an attempt has been made in order to investigate the effect of the addition of different amounts of SiC particles in the AI-4.5Cu base material. The composite material was made by stir casting (vortex method) because it is one of the economical methods in which proper distribution of materials take place. The stirring was carried out with graphite impeller during the addition of the particle. The molten mixture was poured into the metallic dies when stirring was completed and the metallic dies were preheated before the pouring of the molten mixture. The present investigation showed that when SiC is added with different percentages such as 1%, 5%, 7%, 9%, 11% and 13% etc in the AI-4.5Cu matrix, then there is an increase in the mechanical properties such as hardness, tensile strength and wear resistance. So from the present study, we can drive that the hardness, tensile strength and wear resistance of the composites have increased with increasing weight fraction of the SiC particles.