Author(s)

Rajanna Manjunatha¹, Doddarasinakere Kempaiah Ravishankar², Govinda Panduranga Murthy Setty^3*, Bengaluru Siddalingaiah Rakesh¹, Chalya Mallappaji Shiva Prasad⁴, Rajesh Kumar⁵

¹Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vivekananda Institute of Technology, Bangalore, India.
²Department of Chemistry, Sri Mahadeshwara Government First Grade College (Affiliated to University of Mysore), Kollegal, Karnataka, India.
³Department of Engineering Chemistry, Maharaja Institute of Technology, Thandavapura, Nanjangud Taluk, Karnataka, India.
⁴Department of Chemistry, Government First Grade College for Women, Mysuru, India.
⁵Department of Chemistry, Ranchi University, Ranchi, India.

Metal matrix composites (MMCs) are gaining widespread recognition in numerous technological fields owing to its superior mechanical properties when compared with conventional metals/alloys. The aluminium based hybrid composites are increasingly being used in the transport, aerospace, marine, automobile and mineral processing industries, owing to the improved strength, stiffness and wear resistance properties. In the present research work, the composites were prepared using the liquid metallurgy technique, in which 2 - 10 weight percentage of Al₂O₃ particulates and 1 weight percentage of Graphite were dispersed in the base Al6061 alloy. The Casted hybrid composites were subjected to machining process to prepare the specimens according to ASTM standards. Then, the prepared specimens are subjected for assessing the Microstructure followed by its Mechanical behaviors such as, Hardness, Tensile strength, Compressive strength respectively. The microstructure analysis confirms that homogenous distribution of Al₂O₃ and Gr in the Al6061 matrix alloy and there was a momentous enhancement in decisive tensile strength, compressive strength and hardness properties of the hybrid composite. However, a substantial increase in the compressive strength was noticed in graphite reinforced composites as the graphite content was increased and there was a significant diminution in hardness coupled with monotonic increases in the ductility. Further, the ultimate tensile strength and compressive strength of the composite was noticed; thus the outcome of the study will provide explicit rationalizations for these observable facts. Therefore, the proposed way out in the study can provide ample of approaches to minimize the existing problem by employing this newer hybrid composites.

Hybrid Composites, Casting, Liquid Metallurgy, Characterization of Al6061-Al₂O₃-Gr, Microstructure, Mechanical Behaviors, Quality Assessment

Manjunatha, R. , Ravishankar, D. , Murthy Setty, G. , Rakesh, B. , Shiva Prasad, C. and Kumar, R. (2019) Evaluation on Microstructure and Mechanical Behaviour of Al6061-Al₂O₃-Gr Hybrid Composites. Open Journal of Composite Materials, 9, 285-299. doi: 10.4236/ojcm.2019.93017.