Evaluating the effect of SiC content on iron-based nanocomposite

Abstract

Iron has wide application in manufacturing industries and the objective of this study is to investigate the effect of silicon carbide (SiC) particles on iron-based nanocomposites. SiC is effectively reinforced into iron matrix by mechanical alloying process using high-energy ball mill. The Fe–SiC nanocomposites with various compositions of SiC viz., 15%, 20% and 25% are characterised using X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. The nanocomposite powders are compacted and sintered into pellets. Their elastic properties, hardness and Poisson's ratio are determined using the pulse echo technique. Moreover, the densities of the pellets are measured using Archimedes’ principle by the water immersion method.