Effect of Particulate Reinforcement on the Mechanical Properties of Al2024-WC MMCs

K. Punith Gowda; J. N. Prakash; Shivashankare Gowda; B. Satish Babu

doi:10.4236/jmmce.2015.36049

Home > Journals > Chemistry & Materials Science | Engineering > JMMCE

Journal of Minerals and Materials Charac... > Vol.3 No.6, November 2015

Effect of Particulate Reinforcement on the Mechanical Properties of Al2024-WC MMCs ()

K. Punith Gowda¹, J. N. Prakash^1,2, Shivashankare Gowda³, B. Satish Babu¹

¹Department of Mechanical Engineering, East West Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, India.
²St Johns College of Engineering and Technology, Yemmiganur, India.
³Swarnandhra Institute of Engineering & Technology, Narasapur, India.

DOI: 10.4236/jmmce.2015.36049 PDF HTML XML 4,963 Downloads 5,679 Views Citations

Abstract

The present work reveals the study of mechanical properties of Al2024-Tungsten carbide MMCs containing tungsten carbide (WC) particulates. The reinforcing particulates in the Al2024 alloy were varied from 0% to 5% by weight. The vortex method of cast production was employed to fabricate the MMCs, in which the reinforcement was poured into the vortex created by stirring the molten metal by means of a mechanical agitator. The composite so produced was subjected to a series of mechanical tests. The results of this study revealed that as the tungsten carbide particle content was increased, there were significant increases in the ultimate tensile strength, hardness and young’s modulus, compressive strength, accompanied by a reduction in its ductility. An attempt is made in the paper to provide explanations for these phenomena.

Keywords

Aluminium 2024 Alloys, Tungsten Carbide, Stir Casting, Mechanical Properties

Share and Cite:

Gowda, K.P., Prakash, J.N., Gowda, S. and Babu, B.S. (2015) Effect of Particulate Reinforcement on the Mechanical Properties of Al2024-WC MMCs. Journal of Minerals and Materials Characterization and Engineering, 3, 469-476. doi: 10.4236/jmmce.2015.36049.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Everett, R.K and Arsenault, R.J. (1991) Metal Matrix Composites: Mechanisms and Properties. Academic Press, San Diego.
[2]	Kocjak, M.J., Kahtri, S.C., Allison, J.E. and Jones, J.W. (1993) Fundamentals of Metal Matrix Composites. In: Suresh, S., Mortensen, A. and Needleman, A., Eds., Butterworth-Heinemann, Boston.
[3]	Lloyd, D.J. and Brotzen, F.R. (1994) Particle Reinforced Aluminium and Mg Matrix Composites. International Materials Reviews, 39, 1-39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/imr.1994.39.1.1
[4]	Lei, M. and Ledbetter, H. (1994) Communications: Elastic Constants of SiCp/Al: Measurements and Modeling. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions, 25A, 2832-2835. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02649234
[5]	Vogelsang, M., Arsenault, R.J. and Fisher, R.M. (1986) In-Situ HVEM Study of Dislocation Generation at Al/SiC Interfaces. Metallurgical Transactions A, 17, 379-389. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02643944
[6]	Pai, B.C., Ray, S., Prabhakar, K.V. and Rohatgi, P.K. (1976) Fabrication of Aluminium Alumina (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
[7]	Sato, A. and Mehrabian, R. (1976) Aluminium Matrix Composites: Fabrication and Properties. Metallurgical Transactions B, 7, 443-451. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02652716
[8]	Pai, B.C., Pillai, R.M. and Sathyanarayana, K.G. (1994) Prospects for Graphite Aluminium Composites in Engineering Industries. Indian Journal of Engineering and Materials Science, 1, 279.
[9]	Awerbuch, J., Goering, J. and Busking, K. (1988) In Mini Mechanics Analysis and Testing of Short Fibre Composites: Experimental Methods and Results. American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, Vol. 121, 964.
[10]	Cubberly, W.H. (1979) Properties and Selection: Non-Ferrous Alloys and Pure Metals. Metals Handbook, 9th Edition, ASM, Metals Park.
[11]	Murthy, I.N., Babu, N.A. and Rao, J.B. (2014) Comparative Studies on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Granulated Blast Furnace Slag and Fly Ash Reinforced AA 2024 Composites. Journal of Minerals & Materials Characterization & Engineering, 2, 319-333. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/jmmce.2014.24037
[12]	Smith, W.F. (1993) Structure and Properties of Engineering Alloys. 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, New York, 566.
[13]	Kok M. (2005) Production and Mechanical Properties of Al2O3 Particle-Reinforced 2024 Aluminium Alloy Composites. Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 161, 381-387.
[14]	Ramesh, C.S., Keshavamurthy, R., Channabasappa, B.H. and Ahmed, A. (2008) Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ni-P Coated Si3N4 Reinforced Al6061 Composites. Materials Science and Engineering: A, 502, 99-106. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2008.10.012
[15]	Ramesh, A., Prakash, J.N., Gowda, A.S.S.S. and Appaiah, S. (2009) Comparison of the Mechanical Properties of AL6061/Albite and AL6061/Graphite Metal Matrix Composites. Journal of Minerals & Materials Characterization & Engineering, 8, 93-106. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/jmmce.2009.82009
[16]	Ghosh, P.K. and Ray, S. (1986) Effect of Porosity and Alumina Content on the Mechanical Properties of Compocast Aluminium Alloy-Alumina Particulate Composite. Journal of Materials Science, 21, 1667-1674.
[17]	McCoy, J.M. and Warner, F.E. (1988) Dendritic Solidification in Particle Reinforced Cast Aluminium Composites in Cast Reinforced Metal Composites. In: Fishman, S.G. and Dhingra, A.K., Eds., ASM, 237-242.
[18]	McDanels, D.L. (1985) Analysis of Stress-Strain, Fracture and Ductility Behaviour of Aluminium Matrix Composites Containing Discontinuous SiC Reinforcement. Metallurgical Transactions A, 16, 1105-1115. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02811679
[19]	Beitz, W. and Kuttner, K.H. (Eds.) (1994) Dubbel Handbook of Mechanical Engineering. Springer-Verlag, London, D8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-3566-1
[20]	Zhu, H.X. and Liu, S.K. (1993) Mechanical Properties of Squeeze Cast Zinc Alloy Matrix Composites Containing Alpha-Alumina Fibers. Composites, 24, 437-442. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0010-4361(93)90251-3
[21]	Webster, D. (1982) Effect of Lithium on the Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of SiC Whisker Reinforced Aluminium Alloys. Metallurgical Transactions A, 13A, 1511-1519.
[22]	Towle, D.J. and Fried, C.M. (1993) Comparison and Compressive and Tensile Properties of Mg Based MMCs. Materials Science and Technology, 9, 35-41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/mst.1993.9.1.35