Mechanical and wear characteristics of aluminium-7075/graphene/TiB2 prepared by stir casting

Abstract

The rapid development of Aluminium composites with advanced hybrid materials is increasing due to increasing demand. This composite material is used in many applications in the aerospace and automotive industries due to its lightweight, good corrosion resistance and high thermal resistance. To meet this demand, this study focused on the development of Al-7075 alloy reinforcements containing TiB2 and graphene, using Aluminium-7075 as the base material, mixed with TiB2 and graphene to measure and improve mechanical and tribological properties by using stir casting technique, with the proposed graphene content of 1%, 2% and 3% and TiB2 content varying between 1 to 15% of its overall weight. With the addition of TiB2 and graphene properties such as hardness, tensile strength, impact strength and tribological behaviour are improved. The 12% reinforcement combination (i.e. 10% TiB2 and 2% Gr) exhibit better tensile strength, hardness and wear resistance. Microstructure and phase characterization of the composite material are analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. A microstructure evaluation is employed to justify the homogenous dispersal and the existence of reinforced particles. To ensure the quality and reliability of products made from these alloys, destructive tests are often conducted to evaluate their mechanical properties and behavior under different loading conditions.