| Stir casting is the most appropriate method for producing metal matrix composites
(MMCs) because of its effectiveness, cost and simplicity. MMC provide numerous
benefits, including enhanced tensile strength, improved fatigue and creep resistance,
superior thermal expansion coefficients and lower weight and density. As a result,
these benefits have attracted numerous researchers and industries, including the
automotive and aerospace sectors. The present study used a two-step stir-casting
method to fabricate MMC containing 12 wt% silicon carbide (SiC) particles in the
Al6061 alloy. Adding SiC to the Al6061 alloy increased the hardness and strength of
the composites. The fabricated aluminium-reinforced SiC (Al/SiC) composite has a
density of 2.6 g/cm3
, a porosity of 5.797%, a hardness of 134 HV and a tensile strength
of 169 MPa. Al/SiC composite revealed 41% and 36.29% improvement in hardness
and tensile strength, respectively, compared to the base alloy. Elemental and phase
analyses using EDX and XRD further validated the uniform SiC distribution and the
absence of undesirable phases within the composite. |
