Fabrication of A356 composite reinforced with micro and nano Al2O3 particles by a developed compocasting method and study of its properties

Aluminum/alumina composites are used in automotive and aerospace industries due to their low density and good mechanical strength. In this study, compocasting was used to fabricate aluminum-matrix composite reinforced with micro and nano-alumina particles. Different weight fractions of micro (3, 5 and 7.5 wt.%) and nano (1, 2, 3 and 4 wt.%) alumina particles were injected by argon gas into the semisolid state A356 aluminum alloy and stirred by a mechanical stirrer with different speeds of 200, 300 and 450 rpm. The microstructure of the composite samples was investigated by Optical and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Also, density and hardness variation of micro and nano composites were measured. The microstructure study results revealed that application of compocasting process led to a transformation of a dendritic to a nondendritic structure of the matrix alloy. The SEM micrographs revealed that Al2O3 nano particles were surrounded by silicon eutectic and inclined to move toward inter-dendritic regions. They were dispersed uniformly in the matrix when 1, 2 and 3 wt.% nano Al2O3 or 3 and 5 wt.% micro Al2O3 was added, while, further increase in Al2O3 (4 wt.% nano Al2O3 and 7.5 wt.% micro Al2O3) led to agglomeration. The density measurements showed that the amount of porosity in the composites increased with increasing weight fraction and speed of stirring and decreasing particle size. The hardness results indicated that the hardness of the composites increased with decreasing size and increasing weight fraction of particles. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.