Study on the development of AA7075 Metal Matrix Hybrid Composites using Stir Casting

Abstract

Metal matrix composites are made of a dispersed ceramic (oxide, carbide) or metallic phase (Pb, Mo, W, etc.) and a metallic matrix (Al, Mg, Fe, Cu, etc.). While metallic reinforcement options include tungsten, beryllium, and others, ceramic reinforcement options include silicon carbide, boron, alumina, silicon nitride, boron carbide, and boron nitride. MMCs are employed in a wide range of applications, including the Space Shuttle, business jets, electronic substrates, bicycles, cars, golf clubs, and more. The most popular matrix phase of composites is aluminium, which offers a number of unique qualities including increased strength with enhanced stiffness, abrasion and wear resistance, as well as customised electrical and thermal performance. This helps reduce weight without sacrificing any of the other properties. By adding the required reinforcement in the right volume fraction, it is feasible to change certain technological properties of aluminum/aluminum alloys by more than two or three orders of magnitude. No monolithic material currently on the market can compete with the outstanding mix of qualities offered by AMC material systems. In the stir casting method of producing composite materials, a dispersed phase (ceramic particles, short fibres) is mechanically stirred into a molten matrix metal. After that, the liquid composite material is cast using traditional casting techniques, and it may also be processed using traditional metal forming techniques. The stir casting process is simple as well as inexpensive. In the industrial process known as cold forging, bar material is placed into one die and forced into another closed die at a temperature below the austenite temperature of the metal. For the manufacturing of numerous pieces in large quantities at a reasonable price, cold forging is an effective and affordable method of metal deforming. With the aid of hammers, dies, or presses, metals are shaped, squeezed, deformed, and rolled in one of three cold forging processes that might be cold, warm, or hot. Since cold forging produces a stronger, higher-quality product than either casting or machining, the two processes should not be confused.