Ageing behaviour of A356 alloy reinforced with in-situ formed TiB2 particles

The alloy A356 was reinforced with in-situ TiB2 particles via salt-metal reaction, i.e., the reaction of K2TiF6 and KBF4 salts with the molten alloy. The study was undertaken to investigate the ageing response of the alloy when dispersed with TiB2 particles. The results indicated that the ageing time comes down from 12 h in the base alloy to 4 h in the composite with 10 wt.% TiB2. It was also observed that different amounts of TiB2 significantly alter the particle size distribution of Si which consequently affect the mechanical properties. Further, it was also noted that thermal modification plays an important role in retaining the ductility of composites. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.