Addition Of Reinforcement Particles Research Articles

Tribological, mechanical and microstructure characteristics of hybrid aluminium matrix composite containing titanium carbide (TiC) and graphite particles

The present study emphasize on the characterization and microstructure evaluation of aluminium composite with different weight fraction of constituents. These composites were produced by incorporating titanium carbide and graphite particles in the aluminium matrix through stir casting technique. The composites were characterized by evaluating the micro hardness, density, tensile strength, peak elongation and impact strength. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction tests were performed to investigate uniform dispersion of the reinforcement particles in the matrix. It is evident that the addition of reinforcement particles with aluminium matrix yielded an increase in micro hardness and density by 62.82% and 7.05% respectively when compared to matrix. Tensile tests exposed that there was improvement in ultimate strength from 170 to 239.11 MPa while the elongation was dropped to 7.1%. The microscopic study of the specimen explored the plastic deformation through existence of dimples, ridges in the wrecked surfaces.

Dry sliding wear characteristics of hybrid aluminum alloy with nano-fly ash and nano-yttrium oxide

Aluminum alloys feature impressive levels of strength, ductility, castability, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance, making them highly advantageous for the aviation and automotive industries. This study investigates the dry wear performance of hybrid nanocomposites (HNCs) produced using Al6061 as the matrix, with nano-fly ash (FA) and nano-yttrium oxide (Y2O3) as reinforcing agents, utilizing the stir-casting method. The weight percentage (wt-%) of FA was fixed at 4 wt-%, while the Y2O3 varied from 1 wt-% to 3 wt-%. The specimens were prepared following ASTM-G99 standards and tested using a pin-on-disc apparatus with an E31 steel disc under four different loads: 10 N, 20 N, 30 N, and 40 N. It has been observed that wear rate has been increased with the increase in the applied load. The maximum wear rate has been recorded for the base Al6061 alloy as 5.63 × 10−4 mm3/N-m at 40 N load due to its lower wear resistance and less hardness value. The addition of reinforcement particles in the base alloy results in the grain refinement and improvement in the load-bearing capacity. It has been found that at 40 N load, the Al-6061 alloy reinforced with (4 wt-% FA + 3 wt-% Y2O3) is 56.83% superior in terms of wear resistance (2.43 × 10−4 mm3/N-m) as compared to Al6061 base alloy. The hybrid nano-composite containing 4 wt-% FA + 3 wt-% Y2O3 showed the highest value of microhardness as 123.2 HV, which is 136% higher than that of base alloy due to the higher load-bearing characteristics of the reinforcement particles. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) have been employed to analyze both unworn and worn surfaces, revealing uniform dispersion of reinforcement particles, the formation of an oxide layer, micro-pitting, wear debris, and material delamination. Grain refinement has been examined using the line intercept method (ASTM E1382-97), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the elemental composition of the nano-reinforcements.

STUDY ON WEAR NATURE OF ALUMINUM 7075 HYBRID METAL MATRIX COMPOSITE

Aluminum 7075 alloy has garnered significant attention in various engineering applications due to its excellent strength-to-weight ratio and high corrosion resistance. In recent years, the incorporation of reinforcing fibers into aluminum matrices has emerged as a promising approach to enhance mechanical properties, including wear resistance. This study investigates the wear behavior of Aluminum 7075 composite reinforced with varying weight percentages (2%, 4%, and 6%) of boron carbide particles and 2% E-Glass short fibers. The composites were fabricated using the stir casting method, followed by heat treatment to optimize microstructure and mechanical properties. Wear tests were conducted using a pin-on-disc apparatus under dry sliding conditions, with parameters such as applied load, disc speed, and abrading distance being controlled. The wear surfaces were examined through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of worn surfaces. Results revealed that the addition of reinforcement particles effectively improved the wear resistance of the composite, with the 6% reinforcement exhibiting the highest resistance to wear.

Fabrication and characterization of hybrid WE43 Mg alloy-based composite by friction stir processing with improved ductility

In the present study, WE43 magnesium alloy-based hybrid composite was fabricated by using multi-pass friction stir processing (FSP) to enhance the applicability of Mg alloys in aerial and automotive industries limited due to its lower ductility. Microstructural characterization of the double pass processed composite sample analyzed through optical microscopy and SEM-EDS revealed a more homogenous distribution of reinforcement particles (Ti, Al & Sn) with significant grain refinement (avg. grain size = 3.5um) as compared to that of base alloy (avg. grain size = 63um). Mechanical properties investigation revealed that the addition of reinforcement particles and an increased number of passes in processing resulted in enhanced microhardness and UTS with significant improvement in ductility. The percentage elongation of double pass fabricated composite was found to be 32.7%, marking an enhancement of 83% in ductility as compared to that of the substrate alloy.

Particles’ distribution enhancing in aluminum-based composites produced by upward friction stir processing

A new variant of friction stir processing named upward friction stir processing (UFSP) is a promising approach to control particles’ distribution and promote a more uniform distribution over a larger processed area. This variant involves using two sheets with functional particles between them to produce metallic composites. A spacer is used to ensure the desired quantity and uniform distribution of the particles and prevent sputtering. This technique promotes an upward flow to introduce more particles with a uniform distribution in the processed volume, avoiding discrete holes or grooves. This study involved enhancing the particles’ distribution by varying process parameters. The resulting trial with the best particles’ distribution was characterized by means of light microscopy, eddy current testing, microhardness mapping, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The study revealed that UFSP can improve the particles’ distribution in the stir zone of metallic composites, especially when multi-passes are performed towards the retreating side of the plates. The process parameters that produced an improvement in particles’ distribution were six passes with an offset of 1 mm towards the retreating side, the tool rotation and processing speed of 900 rev/min, and 180 mm/min, respectively, and a spacer’s thickness of 0.5 mm. The resulting hardness and electrical conductivity profiles show that the UFSP technique can significantly affect material’s properties, including mechanical strength, particularly when processing with tool offset towards the retreating side. Furthermore, the hardness increased by about 22% in composites produced with the addition of reinforcement particles. However, for some aluminum alloys, the properties decreased under such conditions. These findings highlight the potential of UFSP for producing functionalized materials with tailored properties, while also underscoring the importance of careful parameters selection to optimize the material´s performance.Graphical

Mechanical and microstructure behaviour of aluminum nanocomposite fabricated by squeeze casting and ultrasonic aided squeeze casting: A comparative study

In the search for novel, affordable and efficient reinforcement, it is challenging to identify rare materials that seek to agree and enrich each other. The spent catalyst waste exhausted from the oil refinery industries has been examined as a reinforcement for recycling and reuse. In this investigation, aluminum composites were fabricated through two distinct casting processes: ultrasonic-aided squeeze casting and conventional squeeze casting. The aluminum composites were generated by reinforcing them with two different concentrations of waste spent catalyst (WSC) and silicon carbide (SiC) (1.0 wt. % and 2 wt. %) with an average particle size of 288 and 272 nm, respectively. The reinforcing particle was introduced into the matrix by a novel powder injection technique. The mechanical and microstructural characteristics of aluminum nanocomposites obtained by both techniques were studied and compared. The composite microstructure produced by the squeeze casting with ultrasonic vibration enhances the homogenous dispersion of reinforcing particles. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDAX) reveal no sign of oxide and impurities formations or secondary phase in the composites. Optical microscopy revealed that the addition of reinforcement particles and aggressive ultrasonic vibration resulted in grain refinement of the α-Al dendrites. The tensile strength and hardness of the aluminum composites fabricated with ultrasonic vibration increased by 64.47 % and 65.59 % compared to the composite obtained without ultrasonic vibration. Different strengthening mechanisms have been used to determine the strength of the aluminum composites. The strengthening contribution, mainly due to the thermal mismatch between the matrix and the reinforcement particles, considerably enhanced the strength of the composites. Moreover, the entire test results reveal that the ultrasonic-aided squeeze-casting improves the microstructure and mechanical characteristics of the composites compared to the squeeze-casting approach.

Effect of Al2O3 particles on mechanical, microstructural and tribological characteristics of Al5052 metal matrix composite reinforced with Si3N4 particles

Aluminum metalmatrix composites (AMMCs) resemblesto have an outstanding influence on the material's properties that are suitable in the applications of automotive, marine, aerospace, etc. While these AMMCs were further explored by combining reinforcing particulates in different proportions to improve the parent aluminium matrix's properties. Numerous industries make extensive use of the Al5052 due to its excellent corrosion resistance. The mechanical characteristics of the composites were significantly influenced by Aluminum oxide (Al2O3) reinforcement particles. Adding Silicon nitride (Si3N4) to AMMCs will be value addition as this ceramic has superior mechanical and wear properties.This essay seeks to provide a review of the mechanical, microstructural and tribological characteristics of Al5052 + Al2O3 + Si3N4 metal matrix composite having various weight fraction of Al2O3 (2,4and,6%) and constant weight fraction of Si3N4 (3%) were used to fabricate composites by stir casting method. To gauge the impact of Al2O3 particles on the Al5052 MMC, mechanical parameters such tensile strength, percentage of elongation, and impact strength were assessed. Variations in sliding velocity (1–3 m/s), constant sliding distance (2000 m), and load were used in wear trials (10 N). The research of morphological changes in the structure and agglomeration of reinforced particles has been carried out using SEM and XRD. The interfacial interaction between the matrix and reinforcement causes an intermediate phase to occur, according to X-ray diffraction. The findings show that, when compared to base metal, the mechanical behavior is significantly improved by the addition of reinforcement particles to the Al5052 matrix.

Investigation on microstructure, mechanical, biocorrosion and biocompatibility behavior of nano-sized TiO2@Al2O3 reinforced Mg-HAp composites

The present work takes the benefit of employing a composite approach by reinforcing the pure Mg with bioinert and bioactive ceramic powders for strengthening and reducing their degradation inside the human body to make it a suitable candidate for orthopaedic implants. Hydroxyapatite (HAp) was selected as the bioactive material (a major constituent of the human bone). HAp was synthesized using the precipitation reaction method with Ca(NO3)2·4H2O as calcium and H3PO4 as phosphorus sources. The alkaline pH was maintained with the addition of NH4OH dropwise to assist the hydrolysis. The as-received Al2O3 was coated with TiO2 via the sol-gel route and characterised via X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy with selected area diffraction analysis. The samples were cast in three compositions, pure Mg, Mg-HAp-Al2O3 and Mg-HAp-TiO2@Al2O3. The microstructure, phase composition, mechanical and degradation performance (immersion and electrochemical tests) were analysed. The chemical route of synthesising the HAp and TiO2@Al2O3 powders resulted in uniform particle size. The addition of reinforcement particles in Mg enhanced mechanical properties and reduced corrosion rate. The cell viability of fabricated composites was observed above 80% at 20%, and 10% of extract solution and a noticeable improvement was observed with the employment of TiO2@Al2O3.

Impact behaviour of dissimilar AA2024-T351/7075-T651 FSWed butt-joints: effects of Al2O3-SiC particles addition

Dissimilar friction stir welding joints are widely employed in the industrial field due to the excellent microstructural and mechanical properties of the resulting joints. Nevertheless, to further enhance the weld properties, the addition of reinforcement particles on the joint-line during the process has been proven effective for increasing its mechanical performance. In the present investigation, the microstructure and the impact behaviour of FSWed joints between AA2024-T351 and AA7075-T651 aluminium plates were investigated, considering the effect of different process parameters selected through a full factorial 2k design of experiments: both the rotational and translational speed of the tool, as well as the addition of Al2O3-SiC microparticles, were considered as input parameters. Unnotched 10 x 5 x 55 mm impact specimens were tested through an instrumented 50 J Charpy pendulum: total impact energy, the two complementary initiation and propagation energies as well as the peak force were correlated to the adopted process parameters. From the performed analyses, it was found that joints with reinforcing particles are prone to form wormhole defects across the stir zone that not only affect the microstructural development, but also the impact behaviour since they require less energy at break in comparison with joints fabricated without particles addition.

Tribological behaviour of lamb bone ash and boron carbide reinforced ZA-27 hybrid metal matrix composites under dry sliding conditions

This study aims to investigate the tribological behaviour of lamb bone ash (LBA) and boron carbide (B4C) reinforced ZA-27 hybrid metal matrix composites fabricated using a stir casting process. The weight percentage of LBA and B4C particles in the composites were varied from 0–5 wt%. The composites have been evaluated for density, porosity and microhardness before tribological testing. Dry sliding friction and wear behaviour of composites were studied on a pin-on-disc tribometer by varying load from 10–50 N at a fixed sliding speed of 1 m s−1. Also, to investigate the effect of sliding speed on friction and wear behaviour of composites, tests were carried out at 2 m s−1 and 3 m s−1 of sliding speed. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used for examining the microstructure and worn surface morphology of composite samples. SEM micrographs revealed the presence and homogeneous distribution of reinforcement particles, and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis confirmed the presence of LBA and B4C particles in the composites. Composites density decreased, and porosity increased with the addition of reinforcement particles. The microhardness of the 5 wt% reinforced LBA composite improved by 18.38%, whereas hybrid composite containing (2.5 wt% LBA + 2.5 wt% B4C) showed an improvement of 42% compared to the base alloy. The coefficient of friction (COF) and wear loss increased with the increase in load, whereas COF decreased and wear loss increased with the increase in sliding speed. Composites showed superior wear resistance even at higher loads and sliding speeds. SEM micrographs of worn surface revealed adhesion and abrasion type of wear mechanisms. Therefore, with the improvement in wear resistance this developed composite can be used as a bearing material over monolithic ZA-27 alloy in the automotive sector.

Synthesis and characterization of cold extruded Al/TiC metal matrix composite produced by stir casting technique

Metal matrix composites are the advanced class of structural materials extensively used in the present-day engineering design and development activities such as in automobiles, spacecraft, aircraft, naval, sports, etc. because of their unique properties like high strength to weight ratio, long fatigue life, improved thermal resistance, corrosion resistance, etc. In the present research work, aluminium based metal matrix composites were developed by adding necessary amount of titanium carbide particulate in the range of 3 to 12 wt% in steps of 3% into the molten aluminium alloy by using stir casting technique. The cast composites were tested using scanning electron microscope and the images revealed that, titanium carbide particles are distributed uniformly throughout the aluminium alloy matrix. The produced cast composites were machined to the required size and shape as per the dimensions of the cylinder of cold extrusion machine and annealing heat treatment was carried out to improve deformability. These composites were then extruded at room temperature and mechanical properties such as hardness, yield strength, ductility, ultimate tensile strength, compression strength and impact strength were evaluated experimentally with different weight fractions for both as cast and extruded metal matrix composites. The results revealed that, the addition of reinforcement particles enhances mechanical properties of the composite and further improvement was noticed due to the extrusion process.

Parametric optimization and spark erosion behaviours of synthesized niobium composite

The demand of new materials in modern industries has been increased due to its substance behaviours. The substance properties were altered through addition of alloying elements or change of its composition and its processing method. The gradual change of substance properties were developed through addition of reinforcement particles. For these experimental investigations, the niobium composite was considered as the work material which was fabricated through stir casting route. The boron carbide was the reinforcement particulates which were used to improve the substance properties. The niobium composite was machined through Spark Erosion Machining process (SEM). The amount of Material Removal (MR) was calculated through the difference between initial and final mass of the niobium composite. The different input factors were chosen for found the MR such as current, pulse on time and Standoff Distance (SOD). The optimization was processed through taguchi technique. The objective of the experiment was to increase the material removal from the niobium composite. The variance analysis was used to found the influential factor on MR.

Characteristics of aluminium AC4B reinforced with nano -SiC composites through stir casting methods

Aluminium with a composition of 7-10% Silicon (Si), 2-4% Copper (Cu) is a matrix used by adding Nano SiC reinforcement particles with variations of 0.25; 0.3; 0.4%Vf with the purpose of making bullet-proof materials that have high toughness, impact resistance, and good strength. In this study, fabricated composites used a stir casting process to produce superior mechanical properties which was caused by the bond between an effective matrix and reinforcement particles. Besides, the addition of Nano SiC reinforcement particles, it was also followed by adding 5%wt Magnesium (Mg) as a wetting agent, 0.04%wt Strontium (Sr) as modifier agent, and 0.15%wt Al-5Ti-1B as a grain refining agent. Fabricated composite specimens will be carried out several tests to determine mechanical properties such as density, porosity, hardness, tensile strength, impact resistance, and ballistic test. The result of the test will be compared to the results of that without the addition of reinforcement particles. Then, using the Optical Microscope (OM), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDX), and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) to analyse the dispersion of reinforcement particles in the selected alloy matrix.

Wear and tribofilm characterization of bamboo CNT (B-CNT)-peek composite with incremental blending of submicron synthetic diamond particles

Wear characteristics modified on high functionality tribo poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) composite fabricated through the spatial distribution of bamboo Carbon NanoTube (B-CNT) with incrementally blended networks of sub-micron high thermal conductivity synthetic diamond (SD) particles were studied. The composites were developed by the hot press sintering route and were characterized for their mechanical, thermal stability, chemical state, and tribological properties. On the addition of reinforcement particles, the hardness of the composite was increased by 25%, and thermal stability improved by about 25 °C due to the strengthening effect of diamond particles. FTIR reveals the existence of the chemical compatibility of reinforcements in the matrix. XRD results reveal that the addition of reinforcements in the matrix does not alter the structure of PEEK. Wear characteristics of PEEK composite were investigated by varying applied pressures. The coefficient of friction reduced to 30% for 0.5%SD & 0.75%B-CNT sample, and the specific wear rate was reduced to 39% for 1%SD & 1%B-CNT sample compared to neat PEEK, at maximum loading condition. The coefficient of friction and specific wear rate were reduced to a larger extent due to transfer film consisting of ferric oxide film confirmed by XPS oxygen region peak 531.85 eV and distorted polymer rings was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy.

Investigation of Microstructures, Mechanical Properties of AZ91E Hybrid Composite Reinforced with Silicon Carbide and Fly Ash

In this study, the stir casting processing technique was used to produce the AZ91E hybrid composite reinforced with Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Fly ash (FA) particles in different weight percentages varying from 0 to 10%.30 μm in size. This paper investigates the micro structural phenomena and partial mechanical behavior (i.e., tensile strength, hardness, and fracture toughness) of AZ91E alloy reinforced with SiC and FA. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) furnished with Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) was used to investigate the microstructures. The results show that the SiC and Fly-ash particles are uniformly distributed in the matrix, and there is no sign of SiC and Fly ash agglomerations. The densities of the composites varied from1.805–1.829 g/cm3.The results of hybrid composite samples are then compared with as AZ91E alloy samples. This study found that the addition of both a hard reinforcement (e.g., SiC) and soft reinforcement (e.g., fly ash) remarkably improves the mechanical property such as tensile strength, the hardness of magnesium composites. However, the fracture toughness and elongation of magnesium composites were decreased due to grain refinement due to the addition of reinforcement particles. The tensile test results obtained from the experimental process were compared with finite element method results. The finite element results were in good agreement with the experimental results.

Characterization and Investigation of Thermal Behavior of Ceramic Matrix Composites Treated by Spark Plasma Sintering

The demand for eco-friendly, low-cost, renewable, and high-strength structural components is now growing day to day. In the present work, SiC, CNTs and glass waste are used as additives in a hybrid pattern with Al2O3. The spark plasma sintering (SPS) is used to fabricate hybrid composites with varying five different weight fractions. Thermal properties (i.e., thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity, and specific heat capacity) were investigated at both elevated and room temperatures. From the results, the maximum thermal conductivity is achieved as 40 W/mK at the initial weight fraction after SPS at a temperature of 1400 °C. The addition of 4% ceramic composites obtained maximum thermal conductivity (33.93 W/mK) at 1500 °C temperature. With the addition of reinforcement particles, the thermal properties of alumina oxide decreased. At elevated temperatures, thermal conductivity is high with the addition of glass, silicon carbide (SiC) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) particles. It decreases with increasing measurement temperature and weight fraction of reinforcement particles. The specific heat capacity increased with increasing temperature at all compositions. The effect of weight fraction on thermal properties was clearly observed with the microstructure.

Effect of nano-sized particles on grain structure and mechanical behavior of friction stir welded Al-nanocomposites

Weldability of heat-treatable 6061-T6 aluminum alloy results in deterioration of mechanical properties due to dissolution of strengthening precipitates in the nugget zone of friction stir welded joints. These properties were improved by addition of reinforcement particles in the weld joint line. In the present work, attempts were made to produce 6061-T6 Al-based nanocomposites using the friction stir welding process by incorporating titanium oxide nanoparticles into the aluminum matrix for microstructure refining of the nugget zone and prevent the grain growth in the heat-affected zone. The effect of addition of nanoparticles on the evolution of grains structure and mechanical behavior of friction stir welded samples based on different combinations of rotational and travel speed was studied and discussed. Results revealed that the unreinforced samples were successfully welded at both low and high heat inputs, whereas the reinforced samples are not feasible at tool rotational speed (ω) < 2000 r/min and transverse speed (v) > 70 mm/min, respectively. The significant refining of grains in the nugget zone is possible with addition of nanoparticles via the Zener-pinning effect. A more pronounced increment in tensile strength, microhardness, and wear properties was observed compared to sample without nanoparticles under the same processing parameters due to embedment of nano-sized particles in the weld nugget zone.

Development of Bronze Metal Matrix Composite for Automobile and Marine Applications

Bronze, an industrially relevant material, is always at a constant need for improvement in its properties. It should possess superior hardness, wear resistance and high tensile properties. The microstructure of the composite was characterized by using an optical microscope. The mechanical and tribological tests were carried out on the developed composite samples as per ASTM standards. It was observed that the hardness of the developed bronze composite increases with an increase in the reinforcement addition. The tensile properties were found to improve with addition of reinforcement particles into bronze matrix but, there observed a decrease in the ductility of the composite as compared to the regular bronze alloy. The wear rate of the developed composite was found to be low as compared to that of the regular bronze alloy

Investigation of the microstructure, mechanical and wear properties of AA6061-T6 friction stir weldments with different particulate reinforcements addition

Welding of heat-treated AA6061-T6 often results in mechanical and wear properties deterioration because of the dissolution of the strengthening precipitates at the joint. Enhancement of these properties has been accomplished for non-heat treatable aluminium alloys through the addition of reinforcement particles in the joint. However, its application to AA6061-T6 is scarce. In this work, the microstructure, hardness and wear resistance of AA6061-T6 friction stir welded joints reinforced with SiC, B4C and Al2O3 particles were investigated while the base metal and the unreinforced welded joint were utilised as the control. Aluminium matrix grains refinement which improved with increased particle distribution homogeneity occurred in the entire welded joints. All the reinforced welded joints showed improvements on the unreinforced joint in terms of hardness and wear resistance because of the particles high hardness and substantially increased grain refinement that occurred in the reinforced welded joints. Due to B4C extremely high hardness and homogeneous distribution in the joint, B4C reinforced joint exhibited the highest improvements in hardness (˜42%) and wear rate (˜67%) at low-load condition. However, at high-load condition, SiC followed by the Al2O3 reinforced joints showed the least wear rate even lower than the base metal. The matrix hardness significantly influenced the wear performance at low-load but the overall effects of the reinforcement particles were predominant at high-load condition. The reinforcements’ additions reduced the wear rate of the welded joint by up to a factor of ˜1.7 and ˜1.9 at low and high load conditions respectively.

Strengthening of Al-4.5%Cu alloy with the addition of Silicon Carbide and Bamboo Leaf Ash

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine the use of BLA along with SiC as economical reinforcements to enhance the mechanical behavior of hybrid composite. The purpose of this research is the development of cost-effective aluminum hybrid metal matrix composites.Design/methodology/approachThe present research work investigation evaluated the mechanical properties of Al-4.5%Cu alloy, Al-4.5Cu/10SiC, Al-4.5Cu/10SiC/2BLA and Al-4.5Cu/10SiC/4BLA composites by the Stir casting method. The fabricated composites were analyzed using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and hardness and tensile test.FindingsThe microstructure modification with the addition of reinforcement particles in the matrix alloy and clear interface in between matrix and particles are observed. The density of the composite increased with the addition of SiC and decreased with the addition of BLA in comparison with that of matrix alloy. The hardness and tensile strength of the single-reinforced composite and hybrid composites improved with the addition of reinforcement particles. The strengthening of composites was due to load-bearing capacity of reinforcement particles over the matrix alloy and increased dislocation density of composites materials. The tensile failure mechanism of the composites is reveled with SEM analysis.Practical implicationsThe papers reports the development of cost-effective and light weight aluminum hybrid composites with remarkable enhancement in the mechanical and tribological properties with the addition of BLA as economical reinforcement along with SiC.Originality/valueThe density, hardness and tensile values of fabricated aluminium composites were presented in this paper for the use in the engineering applications where the weight and cost are consider as a primary factors.