Effect of addition of titanium carbide and graphite reinforcement on Al7075 hybrid metal matrix composites by gravity stir casting method

Abstract

In recent years composite materials play vital role on automobile and aerospace industries and the maximum researcher developed the composite, they are used maximum addition of reinforcement particle to the base aluminium matrix is less than 10 % of weight fraction. An attempt is made to increase the addition of reinforcement to the aluminium base material more than 10 % weight fraction. In this research work is to evaluate the mechanical properties of Al7075-Titanium carbide (TiC)-Graphite (Gr) composites developed by gravity stir casting method with increasing the addition of weight percentage of ceramic reinforcement of titanium carbide from 10%,12% and 14% weight fraction with fixed 2% weight percentage of graphite to the composite. The developed Al7075-TiC-Graphite composites were exposed to tensile hardness, and impact studies. The tensile strength, Hardness and impact strength of the composite were decreased while increasing the addition of ceramic reinforcement. Scanning electron microscope confirms the presence of reinforcement of titanium carbide and graphite in the hybrid metal matrix composite. The average tensile strength of the composite increased from 80.87 MPa to 139.87 MPa for the addition of titanium carbide of 10% and 12% weight fraction addition of TiC, beyond that the average tensile strength were decreased when further increasing the addition of reinforcement to base alloy matrix material. The hardness of the Al7075-TiC-Graphite composites increased to 41.31% while increasing the addition of weight percentage of TiC to base matrix where as impact strength of composites decreased while increasing the addition of reinforcement due to higher brittle nature of reinforcement than the base aluminium matrix material. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) confirms the presence of Aluminum, TiC and Graphite particle in the cast composite.