A review on the production of metal matrix composites through stir casting – Furnace design, properties, challenges, and research opportunities

In this paper, effects of SiC particle size on the mechanical properties and the failure mechanisms of Al/SiC composites under compression with strain rates ranging from 0.001 to 5200 s−1 were investigated. Al/SiC composites consisting of 65 wt% SiC particles with the average size of 10 μm and 50 μm were studied respectively. The quasi-static (strain rate of 0.001s−1) and dynamic compression tests (strain rates of 2200s−1-5200s−1) were performed separately for both materials with different SiC particle size. And optical microscope (OM) was used to observe the failure characteristics of the reclaimed specimens. The results show that as the increasing strain rate, results in the improvement of yield strength of both composites. Moreover, the composites with the SiC particle size of 10 μm have a larger yield strength than that 50 μm one. The microstructure analyses reveal that separation of SiC particles from aluminum matrix and fragmentation of SiC particles are the main failure mechanisms of Al/SiC composites subjected to compressive loading. The adhesive force between the SiC particles and aluminum matrix has a significant effect on the compressive resistance of the composites. The Al/SiC composites with the small SiC particles size are superior to the larger one under compressive loading due to the more compact interface and larger tension for the movement of dislocations. The perforation test was carried out for the material with the SiC particle average size of 10 μm, and its anti-penetration performance is about 1.50 times higher than 10CrNiMo steel.

Effects of SiC particle size on mechanical properties of SiC particle reinforced aluminum metal matrix composite

In recent years, many alloys as well as composites of aluminium were developed for enhanced material performance. AA 6061 is an aluminium alloy that has extensive applications due to its superior material characteristics. It is a popular choice of matrix for aluminium matrix composite (AMC) fabrication. This study provides a review on AA 6061 aluminium alloy matrix composites produced through the stir-casting process. It focusses on conventional stir-casting fabrication, process parameters, various reinforcements used, and the mechanical properties of the AA 6061 composites. Several research studies indicated that the stir-casting method is widely used and suitable for fabricating AA 6061 composites with reinforcements such as SiC, B4C, Al2O3, TiC, as well as other inorganic, organic, hybrid, and nanomaterials. The majority of the studies showed that an increase in the reinforcement content enhanced the mechanical and tribological properties of the composites. Furthermore, hybrid composites showed better material properties than single reinforcement composites. The usage of industrial and agricultural residues in hybrid composites is also reported. Future studies could focus on the fabrication of AA 6061 nanocomposites through stir casting and their material characterisation, since they have great potential as advanced materials.

A Review on AA 6061 Metal Matrix Composites Produced by Stir Casting.

The present paper focuses on the investigation of physical, mechanical and tribological characteristics of Al6063 alloy reinforced with Silicon Nitride powder. The Al6063-Silicon Nitride Metal Matrix Composites were fabricated by following stir casting method of liquid metallurgy technique. The amount of reinforcement incorporation in matrix material was from 0 to 10 wt% varied in intervals of 2. The obtained composites were used in the investigative studies related to physical, mechanical & tribological experimentations. The tests were performed on the Al6063 alloy and its composites as per in harmony with the ASTM Standards. The test results it can be observed and appreciated that increasing the reinforcement percentage, the characteristics like hardness and density increased monolithically and significantly. The dry sliding wear test is performed using pin on disc configuration tribometer and the results state that the composite has higher wear resistance. Basically the Al6063 is relatively soft and as per dry sliding wear concern at the applications of stringers, upper and lower wings of aircraft, floor breams, seat tracks, fuselage of an aircraft's, the wear resistance plays a crucial role in relative movement at contact surfaces, hence the present work focused on developing Al6063-Silicon Nitride Metal Matrix Composites with enhanced mechanical and tribological properties. Off all the compositions, the composite material having the highest percentage of reinforcement showed better properties. Scanning Electron Microscope, Energy Dispersive Microscopy images were used to study the fabricated composites before and after the wear morphology during wear test.

Assessment of mechanical and tribological characteristics of Silicon Nitride reinforced aluminum metal matrix composites

The use of metal matrix composites (MMCs) in a variety of products is significantly increasing with time due to the fact that their properties can be tailored and designed to suit specific applications. However, the future usage of MMC products is very much dependent on their beneficial aspects and hence it is critical to ensure in a robust repeatable manner the superior physical property advantages compared to conventional unreinforced monolithic metal counterparts. Although numerous routes are available for production of MMC products, each of them has their own advantages and disadvantages. This article provides an overview of advanced production routes for MMCs. The discussion also highlights challenges and presents a future prospectus for MMCs. Powder metallurgy and casting routes are still extensively used for production of MMCs. Aluminum alloys are today the most commonly used matrix materials in MMC products. Carbides (eg, SiC, TiC, and B4C), carbon allotropes (eg, CNTs and graphene), and alumina (Al2O3) are currently the most used reinforcement materials. Nevertheless, the use of nano and of hybrid reinforcements are seeing increased usage in niche applications. Additive manufacturing (AM) is discussed as a novel production route for MMC products. This process represents a promising method for the production of MMC products.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/eng2.12330

Ulhas K. G.B. Annigeri Veeresh Kumar

Papers

Method of stir casting of Aluminum metal matrix Composites: A review