Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of as Cast Aluminium Alloy 7075/Basalt Dispersed Metal Matrix Composites

S. Ezhil Vannan, S. Paul Vizhian

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University Visveswarya College of Engineering Affiliated to Bangalore University, Bangalore, India.

DOI: 10.4236/jmmce.2014.23023                

Abstract

This paper aims to study the effects of short basalt fiber reinforcement on the mechanical properties of cast aluminium alloy 7075 composites containing short basalt fiber of content ranging from 2.5 to 10 percent by weight in steps of 2.5 percent and fabricated using compo-casting technique. The objective is to investigate the process feasibility and resulting material properties such as young’s modulus, ductility, hardness & compression strength. The properties obtained are compared with those of as-cast that were manufactured under the same fabrication conditions. The results of this study revealed that, as the short basalt fiber content was increased, there were significant increases in the ultimate tensile strength, hardness, compressive strength and Young’s modulus, accompanied by a reduction in its ductility. Furthermore, the microstructure & facture studies were carried out using Optical Microscopy (OM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) in order to establish relationships between the quality of the fiber/aluminium interface bond and hence to link with mechanical properties of the composites.

Keywords

Metal Matrix Composite (MMCs), Aluminium Alloy, Basalt Fibers, Mechanical Properties

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Ward, P.J., Atkinson, H.V., Anderson, P.R.G., Elias, L.G., Garcia, B., Kahlen, L. and Rodriguez-Ibabe, J.-M. (1996) Semi-Solid Processing of Novel MMCs Based on Hypereutectic Aluminium-Basal Short Fiber Alloys. Acta Materialia, 44, 1717-1727. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/1359-6454(95)00356-8
[2]	Ward-Close, C.M., Chandrasekaran, L., Robertson, J.G., Godfrey, S.P. and Murgatroyde, D.P. (1999) Advances in the Fabrication of Titanium Metal Matrix Composite. Materials Science and Engineering A, 263, 314-318. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0921-5093(98)01162-9
[3]	Kennedy, F.E., Balbahadur, A.C. and Lashmore, D.S. (1997) The Friction and Wear of Cu-Based Basal Short Fiber Carbide Particulate Metal Matrix Composites for Brake Applications. Wear, 203-204, 715-721. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0043-1648(96)07451-0
[4]	Akbulut, H., Durman, M. and Yilmaz, F. (1998) Dry Wear and Friction Properties of δ-Al2O3 Short Fiber Reinforced Al-Si (LM 13) Alloy Metal Matrix Composites. Wear, 215, 170-179. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0043-1648(97)00237-8
[5]	Gupta, N., Satyanarayana, K.G. and Materials, C. (2006) Symposium Review: Solidification Processing of MMCs. Journal of Materials Science, 58, 91-93.
[6]	Miracle, D. (2005) Metal Matrix Composites—From Science to Technological Significance. Composites Science and Technology, 65, 2526-2540. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2005.05.027
[7]	Evans, A., Marchi, C. and Mortensen, A. (2003) Metal Matrix Composites in Industry: An Introduction and a Survey. Kluwer Academic Publisher, Dordrecht. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0405-4
[8]	Ibrahim, I.A., Mohamed, F.A. and Lavernia, E.J. (1991) Particulate Reinforced Metal Matrix Composites. Journal of Materials Science, 26, 1137-1156. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00544448
[9]	Chou, T.W., Kelly, A. and Okurat, A. (1985) Composites de Matrices en Métal Renforcés aux Fibres. Composites, 16, 183-184. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0010-4361(85)90603-2
[10]	Kelly, A., Fishman, S. and Dhingra, A. (1988) Metal Matrix Composite, A Review. Proceeding International Symposium on Advances in Cast Reinforced Metal Composite, Chicago.
[11]	Wessel, J.K. (2004) The Handbook of Advanced Materials. John Wiley & Sons Inc., New Jersey. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/0471465186
[12]	Everett, R.K. and Arsenault, R.J. (1991) Metal Matrix Composites: Mechanisms and Properties. Academic Press, San Diego.
[13]	Kocjak, M.J., Kahtri, S.C., Allison, J.E. and Jones, J.W. (1993) Fundamentals of Metal Matrix Composites. Butterworth-Heinemann, Boston.
[14]	Pai, B.C., Ray, S., Prabhakar, K.V. and Rohatgi, P.K. (1976) Fabrication of Aluminiumalumina (Magnesia) Particulate Composites in Foundries Using Magnesium Additions to the Melts. Materials Science and Engineering, 24, 31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0025-5416(76)90092-6
[15]	(1996) ASM Handbook, Casting, Vol. 15, ASM International.
[16]	Sato, A. and Mehrabian, R. (1976) Aluminum Matrix Composites: Fabrication and Properties. Metallurgical Transactions B, 7, 443-451. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02652716
[17]	Awerbuch, J., Goering, J. and Busking, K. (1988) In Mini Mechanics Analysis and Testing of Short Fibre Composites: Experimental Methods and Results, Vol. 121. American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, 964.
[18]	Smith, W.F. (1993) Structure and Properties of Engineering Alloys. 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, New York, 566.
[19]	Pillai, U.T.S. and Pandey, R.K. (1989) Studies on Mechanical Behaviour of Cast and Forged Al-Graphite Particle Composites. Journal of Composite Materials, 23, 108-132. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/002199838902300201
[20]	Li, G., Ponte Castaneda, P. and Douglas, A.S. (1993) Constitutive Models for Ductile Solids Reinforced by Rigid Spheroidal Inclusions. Mechanics of Materials, 15, 279-300. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0167-6636(93)90004-B
[21]	Li, J. and Weng, G.J. (1998) A Unified Approach from Elasticity to Viscoelasticity to Viscoplasticity of Particle-Reinforced Solids. International Journal of Plasticity, 14, 193-208. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0749-6419(97)00048-X
[22]	Zhu, H.T. and Zbib, H.M. (1995) A Macroscopic Model for Plastic Flow in Metal-Matrix Composites. International Journal of Plasticity, 11, 471-499. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0749-6419(95)00009-7
[23]	Kailasam, M. and Ponte Castaneda, P. (1998) A General Constitutive Theory for Linear and Nonlinear Particulate Media with Microstructure Evolution. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 46, 427-465. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0022-5096(97)00095-1
[24]	Eshelby, J.D. (1961) Elastic Inclusions and Inhomogeneities. Progress in Solid Mechanics, 2, 89-140.
[25]	Taya, M. (1981) On Stiffness and Strength of an Aligned Short-Fiber Reinforced Composite Containing Penny-Shaped Cracks in the Matrix. Journal of Composite Materials, 15, 198-210. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/002199838101500301
[26]	Mori, T. and Tanaka, K. (1973) Average Stress in Matrix and Average Elastic Energy of Materials with Misfitting Inclusions. Acta Metallurgica, 21, 571-574. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0001-6160(73)90064-3
[27]	Taya, M. and Arsenault, R.J. (1989) Metal Matrix Composites. Pergamon, New York.
[28]	Llorca, J. and GonAllez, C. (1998) Microstructural Factors Controlling the Strength and Ductility of Particle-Reinforced Metal-Matrix Composites. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 46, 1-28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0022-5096(97)00038-0
[29]	Shu, J.Y. and Barlow, C.Y. (2000) Strain Gradient Effects on Microscopic Strain Field in a Metal Matrix Composite. International Journal of Plasticity, 16, 563-591. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0749-6419(99)00088-1
[30]	Seah, K.H.W., Sharma, S.C. and Girish, B.M. (1995) Mechanical Properties of Cast ZA-27/Graphite Particulate Composites. Materials and Design, 16, 271-275. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0261-3069(96)00001-5
[31]	McDanels, D.L. (1985) Analysis of Stress-Strain, Fracture, and Ductility Behavior of Aluminum Matrix Composites Containing Discontinuous Basalt Short Fiber Carbide Reinforcement. Metallurgical Transactions A, 16, 1105-1115. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02811679
[32]	Vogelsang, M., Arsenault, R.J. and Fisher, R.M. (1986) An in Situ HVEM Study of Dislocation Generation at Al/SiC Interfaces. Metallurgical Transactions A, 17, 379-389. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02643944
[33]	Zhu, H.X. and Liu, S.K. (1993) Mechanical Properties of Squeeze Cast Zinc Alloy Matrix Composites Containing α-Alumina Fibers. Composites, 24, 437-442. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0010-4361(93)90251-3
[34]	Sood, J., Tiwari, A.N. and Teredesai, A. (1991) TiC-Reinforced Al Matrix Composites. In: Proceedings of 2nd International Conference on Aluminium INCAL-91, Aluminium Association, Bangalore, 31 July-2 August 1991, 781-785.
[35]	Sanders, B.R. and Weintraub, T.L. (1995) ASM Handbook, Vol. 8, Mechanical Testing. American Society of Metals, Philadelphia, 84.
[36]	Mummery, P.M., Derby, B. and Scruby, C.B. (1993) Acoustic Emission from Particulate Reinforced Metal Matrix Composites. Acta Metallurgica et Materialia, 41, 1431-1445. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0956-7151(93)90252-N
[37]	Seah, K.H.W., Sharma, S.C. and Ramesh, A. (2000) Mechanical Properties of Cast Aluminium Alloy 6061-Albite Particulate Composites. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part L, 214, 1-6.
[38]	Sharma, S.C., Girish, B.M., Kamath, R. and Satish, B.M. (1999) Fractography, Fluidity, and Tensile Properties of Aluminum/Hematite Particulate Composites. Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance, 8, 309-314.
[39]	See, K.S. and Dean, T.A. (1997) The Effects of the Disposition of SiC Particles on the Forgeability and Mechanical Properties of Co-Sprayed Aluminium-Based MMCs. Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 69, 58-67.
[40]	See, K.S. and Dean, T.A. (1997) The Effects of Pre-Forge Processing on Forgeability and Mechanical Properties of Co-Sprayed Aluminium-Based MMCs. Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 71, 314-321.