Investigation of Mechanical Properties of Si3N4 Reinforced Composites Produced from Aluminum Waste

Abstract

In this study, first of all, waste aluminum beverage cans were melted and poured into molds to obtain matrix material in the form of ingots. Stir casting process was used for composite material production. 0.5%, 0.75% and 1% by weight Si3N4 reinforcement was added to the matrix material. The effects of reinforcement ratios on the density, hardness, tensile strength, impact strength and microstructure of composite materials were investigated. In Si3N4 reinforced composites, tensile strength increased from 54,5 MPa to 105,17 MPa, impact strength increased from 4,94 J to 13,18 J, and hardness increased from 70 HV to 87,9 HV depending on the increased reinforcement ratio. Also, in the density measurements, density and porosity ratio increased with the increase of the reinforcement ratio. From the scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the produced composites, it was determined that the particle distribution increased with the increase in the reinforcement ratio and the reinforcement material was homogeneously dispersed.