Author(s)

Nurul Afsar Chowdhury¹, Md. Arifur Rahman Khan², Sajib Aninda Dhar^2*

¹Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
²Pilot Plant and Process Development Centre (PP & PDC), Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Ternary Al-4.5 (wt%) Cu-3.4 (wt%) Fe in-situ composite was prepared at 1100°C by conventional casting method. However, this particular alloy contains larger needle-shaped intermetallics of Al₃Fe phase. These exert adverse effect on the mechanical properties of the alloys. The larger shape and uneven orientation of the intermetallic were found to be responsible for the degradation of properties. The main purpose of this study was to modify the geometry of those needles by adding magnesium (Mg) as a fourth material. A series of alloys were prepared by adding 4, 6, 8, 10, wt% Mg in Al-4.5 (wt%) Cu-3.4 (wt%) Fe alloy. Microstructures were observed by optical microscopy. Mechanical properties like ultimate tensile strength, % elongation, % area reduction, hardness and wear test were determined. The study revealed that Mg transformed the needles of Al₃Fe into globular shape which gave the alloys better mechanical properties.

Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs), Intermetallic Compounds, Al-Cu-Fe Alloy, In-Situ Composite, Mg Addition

Chowdhury, N. , Khan, M. and Dhar, S. (2020) Effect of Mg Addition on the Structure and Properties of Al-4.5 Cu-3.4 Fe In-Situ Cast Composite. Journal of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, 8, 66-73. doi: 10.4236/msce.2020.83005.