Properties of aluminum graphite composite prepared by stir casting

• Main Authors: Sidharta, Indra, Haryono, Jothan Agus, Devara, Auzan Adani
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aluminum; Aluminum graphite composites; Clustering; Graphite; Hardness; Melts; Metal matrix composites; Properties (attributes); Silicon base alloys; Viscosity; Weight reduction
• ISSN: 0094-243X; 1551-7616
• DOI: 10.1063/1.5046292

Aluminum graphite composite is one of the member of a new material called metal matrix composites (MMC). the MMC has paved its way in the field of automotive application due to its prospective properties. The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of graphite reinforcement to the properties of the MMC, namely fluidity, hardness and impact energy. Aluminum – Silicon alloy is used as matrix metal, whereas graphite powder used as reinforcement in the amount of 1%, 2%, 4%, 6% and 8% respectively. Stir casting was used to prepare the composites at 850°C. Results indicate that the fluidity of aluminum graphite composite decreased as the amount of graphite is increase. Higher amount of graphite provides an increase of viscosity in the melts, thus decreasing the fluidity during casting. Hardness of the composite tends to be increasing with the increase of graphite amount, however the hardness starts to decline after the addition of 6 % graphite. The decreasing hardness is caused by the graphite powder clustering. Impact energy shows decreasing tendency as the amount of graphite becomes higher.