Study on Mechanical Properties of Silicon Carbide Particle Reinforced AA6061 Composite Produced by Stir Casting
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Abstract
The purpose of the study is to make quantitative and qualitative analyses on the Metal Matrix Composite (MMC). The MMC comprises aluminum alloy AA6061 as the matrix element and 5%, 10% and 15% by weight of silicon carbide particulate (SiCp) as the reinforcement material, before and after heat treatment. This investigation compares the mechanical properties and metallurgical characteristics of the MMC with the base material AA6061. In the present investigation, stir casting method is used for preparing samples of MMC. The produced composites were subjected to heat treatment to enhance their hardness. The influence of the weight composition of the reinforcement particles on the mechanical properties of the MMC is analyzed quantitatively. The mechanical properties such as tensile strength, impact strength and hardness were measured for quantitative analysis, while scanning electron microscope is used for qualitative analysis. The temperature of the furnace and the hardening time during the heat treatment process control the hardness exhibited by the composite materials. The percentage composition of reinforcements in the composite materials influences their mechanical properties. Based on the results, optimal material has been suggested for a wide range of applications. The proposed investigation indicates that if the heat treatment increases, then the microhardness of the MMC increases by 13.86%, 18.45% and 30.19%, respectively for 5, 10, and 15% by weight SiCp. It is also observed that the maximum tensile strength of MMC is 329 MPa at 10 % by weight of SiCp. Compared to the base material, it is a 12.5% increase in its tensile strength. Increase in the percentage composition of SiCp to 15wt. % reduced the impact strength by 13%. The scanning microscopy reveals that MMC having 10% by weight of SiCp has a medium-size grain structure.
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