A Review on Fabrication and Characterization of Aluminium Metal Matrix Composite (AMMC)

Abstract

The trend towards the use of composites is increasing rapidly in the ongoing scenario and is likely to increase more rapidly in the future. Nowadays aluminium and its alloy based composites are gaining importance in the upcoming fields of engineering. Aluminium metal matrix composite (AMMC) possess superior strength, hardness, corrosion resistance, fatigue and creep resistance in addition to low weight advantage of aluminium. Aluminium based composites (AMMC) are widely used in aerospace and automotive industries due to high strength to wear ratio. Mechanical Components due to insufficient strength fails under various types of loading. Modern mechanical components require advance properties, the material available in pure form do not possess the required strength, hardness, corrosion resistance etc. A Composite is formed by combination of two or more physically and chemically distinct substances and is fabricated to enhance the characteristics of base metal. The material is then characterized by the different types of analysis like tensile, impact, hardness, along with thermal analysis such as XRD and DTA. Metal matrix composite (MMC) are formed when the base metal is metal and reinforcement takes place in the form of powder, particles, fibers and whiskers. Reinforcements in the metal matrix composite may be a metal or other material which may be ceramic or any other organic compound. Metal matrix composites (MMC) possess significantly enhanced properties which improve the functioning as well as service life of the various mechanical components. This paper is aimed to review the theory, experiments and methodology to fabricate aluminium metal matrix composites (AMMC) and also the characterization of fabricated material.