FABRICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF HYBRID ALUMINIUM (Al6061) METAL MATRIX COMPOSITE REINFORCED WITH SiC, B4C AND MoS2 VIA STIR CASTING

The demand for lightweight material with high strength has led to the development of novel aluminium-based metal matrix composites. Uniformly dispersed nanoparticle-reinforced metal matrix composites exhibit much better properties than microparticle-reinforced composites and monolithic alloy. This work aimed to fabricate and characterize hybrid aluminium Al6061 alloy metal matrix composite reinforced with MoS2, SiC and B4C. The influence of the varying their wt% (3, 6, 9 and 12%) of MoS2, SiC and B4C reinforcement on the metal matrix composite's physical, mechanical, tribological behaviour and morphological behaviour was also carried out. Compared to as-cast non-reinforced Al6061, the density of the reinforced Al6061 composite increased with the incorporation of SiC and MoS2. The highest density was recorded for the hybrid composite Al6061/12% SiC/4% MoS2. The hardness of hybrid metal matrix composite improved with an increase in the weight percentage of B4C. The highest hardness was recorded on the Al6061/12% B4C/4% MoS2 composite with a hardness value of 114.03 HV. The ultimate tensile strength was highest for composite Al6061/12% B4C/4% MoS2. The tribology study showed that mass loss significantly increased as applied load increased from 10 to 50 N. The wear performance of hybrid composites indicated that double- and triple-reinforced samples have less wear loss than non-reinforced specimens due to solid MoS2 lubricant and the formation of the B2O3 layer at the contact zone. Wear debris and delamination wear were the predominant wear mechanisms of the composites. [GRAPHICS] .

Automated summary

This work focuses on the fabrication and characterization of hybrid aluminium Al6061 alloy metal matrix composites reinforced with MoS2, SiC and B4C. The study investigates the influence of different weight percentages of these reinforcements on the physical, mechanical, tribological and morphological behavior of the composites. The results show that the addition of SiC and MoS2 increases the density of the composite, while increasing the weight percentage of B4C improves the hardness and ultimate tensile strength. The tribology study reveals that the wear performance of hybrid composites is better than non-reinforced specimens, with wear debris and delamination wear being the dominant wear mechanisms.