Influence of titanium carbide and activated carbon particles on the wear, mechanical properties and microstructure study of A413 metal matrix composite

Abstract

Present industries show an increasing demand in low-cost reinforcement and light weight composites. As compared to unreinforced alloys, metal matrix composites (MMCs) have possessed better properties including good thermal conductivity, wear resistance and high strength. The inexpensive low-density reinforcement of several discontinuous dispersions is available in huge quantities of agricultural waste is activated carbon (AC). Hence, the composites with activated carbon as reinforcement in Al-Si alloys (AMMC) are likely to find wide spread applications in aerospace, marine and automobile sectors. The current examination has been cantered at the usage of titanium carbide (TiC) and activated carbon (coconut shell ash powder) in micro form, with the aid of dispersing it into aluminium silicon alloy (A413) to yield composites via stir casting method. Hybrid reinforcement of 1, 2 & 3% of TiC and 5, 10 & 15 % of activated carbon via weight %, specimens have been prepared by using liquid metallurgy route. Tests like wear behaviour, mechanical tests and microstructure studies are executed and analysed. From the investigation it has been revealed that with increase in the % reinforcements of TiC and activated carbon improving the mechanical properties of the composites such as hardness and tensile strength. The microstructure pictures have revealed the distribution of TiC and AC reinforcement uniformly in the Al-Si matrix.