Characterization of Aluminium Alloy LM6 with B4C and Graphite Reinforced Hybrid Metal Matrix Composites

Characterization of Aluminium Alloy LM6 with B4C and Graphite Reinforced Hybrid Metal Matrix Composites

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Hybrid metal matrix composites (MMCs) are increasingly important in aviation, marine, automotive, and industrial manufacturing due to their ability to enhance the mechanical and chemical properties of composites.The study aimed to understand the fabrication, mechanical properties and microstructural properties of LM6/B4C/Gr composites.An aluminium alloy (LM6) is the base metal, having properties of less weight, medium strength, and excellent castability.The addition of B4C and Gr enhanced the tensile strength, hardness, and wear resistance of the composites, while maintaining good ductility.

Boron carbide is a lightweight click here and extremely hard material with excellent wear resistance and high thermal stability.It has a specific modulus that is almost two times higher than that of aluminium, meaning it can provide superior stiffness and strength while maintaining a low weight such as drive shafts, housings, and structural supports.The addition of graphite improves the lubrication properties of the composites.Composites were successfully fabricated through a stir casting process, with the uniform dispersion of boron carbide and graphite particles in the aluminium LM6 matrix.

The hybrid metal matrix composites are fabricated by five different combinations of B4C (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 wt%) with constant wt% of graphite (1 wt%).The fabricated samples of hybrid composites used to find the mechanical properties and microstructure analysis.The test results reveal that the tensile strength and hardness of the composites increased with an increase in the weight percentage of reinforcements, and the percentage of elongation decreases with increasing the reinforcement particles.The boron carbide (B4C) and graphite (Gr)particles in a matrix material are analyzed by a click here scanning electron microscope (SEM).

Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) is used to evaluate the microstructure and chemical composition of the composites, providing valuable insights for their design and optimization.