Characterization and Mechanical Testing of Hybrid Metal Composites of Aluminium Alloy (A356/LM25) Reinforced by Micro-Sized Ceramic Particles

• Published in: Journal of the Institution of Engineers (India) Series C 2024, Vol.105 (3), p.457-470
• Main Authors: Sarvani, Rahamthulla Khan, Mohinoddin, Mohd, Ramakrishna, L. Siva
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerospace engineering; Aerospace Technology and Astronautics; Alloys; Aluminum; Aluminum base alloys; Aluminum matrix composites; Aluminum oxide; Amorphous alloys; Amorphous materials; Brinell hardness tests; Casting; Casting alloys; Composition; Energy distribution; Engineering; High strength alloys; Hybrid composites; Industrial and Production Engineering; Magnesium oxide; Mechanical Engineering; Mechanical properties; Mechanical tests; Original Contribution; Particulate composites; Particulates; Silicon carbide; Strength to weight ratio; Tensile strength; Tensile tests; Weight reduction; Zirconium dioxide
• ISSN: 2250-0545; 2250-0553
• DOI: 10.1007/s40032-024-01064-w

A356/LM25 aluminum casting alloys are widely used in various aerospace, automobile, and engineering applications due to their high strength-to-weight ratio. With the growing demand for lightweight and high-strength components, aluminum matrix composites have emerged as promising materials for many engineering applications. In this study, we fabricated hybrid composites of A356/LM25 alloy reinforced with micro-sized ceramic particles, including ZrO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , SiC, MgO, and Gr particulates, with different weight percentages (1, 3, and 5%), using the stir casting method. To analyze the composites’ morphology and the distribution of reinforcement, we used Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) combined with Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) Spectroscopy at varying magnification levels. We also utilized X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) technique to examine the material powder’s crystalline or amorphous nature. Additionally, we conducted a tensile test to determine the tensile strength and a Brinell hardness test to measure the hardness of the alloy composite. We achieved the highest tensile strength of 305.7 MPa for the LM25 + 1%MgO + 3%SiC composition, while the highest hardness of 96.95 BHN was obtained for the LM25 + 5%Al2O3 composition.