Cerium Oxide and Silicon Carbide Reinforced Al6063 Metal Matrix Composites Comparative Evaluation for Mechanical Properties and Fractography Studies

Abstract

Aluminum matrix material is considered as advanced material because of its very good mechanical, tribological properties which have been used in automobile, aerospace industries at the larger end, and now aluminum matrix materials have been used in medical and electronics industries because of its good and high strength to weight ratio and low coefficient of thermal expansion. The present work is focused about the improvement in mechanical properties and fracture graphic studies of aluminum matrix reinforced with ceramic particulate silicon carbide and cerium oxide of laboratory grade size, respectively. Here, the reinforcement is varied in terms of weight percent ranging from 0 to 8% in the steps of 2%, and the composites were fabricated using a stir casting route. Prepared specimens were tested as per ASTM standard and performed tensile, compressive, impact and hardness test and fracture surfaces studies done under the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results reveal that with increase in percentage of reinforcement, the mechanical properties of the composite system have increased, SEM images clearly reveal the modes of fracture, and XRD shows the presence of reinforcement.