Development and Characterization of Al7475/NbC Reniforced Metal Matrix Composites

Abstract

Aluminium metal matrix composites (AMMCs) have considerable applications in aerospace, automotive and military industries due to their high strength to wear ratio, stiffness, light weight, good wear resistance and improved thermal and electrical properties. Ceramic particles such as Al2O3, SiC are the most widely used materials for reinforcement of aluminium. In the present work, an effort is made to enhance the mechanical properties like tensile strength, compression strength and hardness of AMMCs by reinforcing AL7475 matrix with varying NBC particles sizes. By stir casting route (liquid metallurgical technique) in which amount of reinforcement is varied from 2-8 wt% in steps of 2 wt% for varying reinforcement sizes and specimens are artificially aged. The prepared composites of AL7475-Boron Carbide (NBC) are characterized by microstructural studies, SEM and XRD/EDS analysis will be carried out to analyze the microstructure and the dispersion of the reinforced particles in the alloy matrix, mechanical properties such as Tensile strength, Compression Strength, Density, Tribological Properties and Fracture Toughness as per ASTM Standards. Hypothesis of the present work in particularly to the optimum size of reinforcement and also the results of both with and without heat treatment are compared with that of as cast AL7475 Alloy.