Experimental investigation on mechanical properties of AA7075-AlN composites

Abstract

Abstract Hard ceramic particle reinforced aluminum matrix composites (AMCs) are considered a distinct category of advanced materials which command outstanding strength, good corrosion resistance and excellent wear resistance compared to conventional materials. In the present work, an Al-Zn-Mg aluminum alloy-based metal matrix composite was prepared by stir casting. The AA7075 matrix was reinforced with 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 wt.-% aluminum nitride particles for producing AMCs. Flexural strength, tensile strength and micro-hardness were studied. The microstructure of the matrix alloy and the composites was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Micron-sized aluminum nitride particles were added to the aluminum matrix to enhance the micro-hardness and the flexural and tensile strength of the composite. SEM micrographs reveal the fairly uniform dissemination of aluminum nitride particles in the composite. The results obtained indicate that the mechanical properties of the composite were increased with an increase in weight percentages of the aluminum nitride reinforcement content.