Preparation and characterization of Al-TiO2-Mg composites through powder metallurgy

Abstract

Powder metallurgy is crucial in the aerospace, automotive, and petrochemical industries for synthesizing a wide range of materials. P/M is an excellent method for manufacturing components with high mechanical and tribological properties, such as strength, impact resistance, and wear resistance. The current research focuses on the preparation of Al metal matrix composites by reinforcing TiO2 and Mg. the composites are prepared with varying compositions of TiO2 and Mg. the samples are sintered for different sintering temperatures for optimizing sintering temperature for higher density and the samples are analyzed for microstructure using optical microscopy and Scanning electron microscopy with EDS. The samples are further tested for hardness using Vickers hardness tester. It is found that the highest density is obtained for the sample with 10 % Mg sintered at 550 °C. The density is found to be decreased after the composition exceeds 10% of Mg and above 550 °C. The Vickers hardness is found to be high for Al-TiO2-Mg composites are sintered at 500oC with the addition of 10 % Mg. It is also found that as the Mg content is increasing, the hardness was increased upto 10% of Mg and then it is decreased. The highest hardness is found for the composites sintered at 500oC and 10 % Mg. The SEM images reveal the surface morphology of the sintered samples. The images show the porosity, distribution of the powder particles and sintering behavior.