Effect of Thermal Ageing on A1 Alloy Metal Matrix Composite

Abstract

Aluminium alloys are widely used in aerospace and automobile industries, due to their good mechanical properties and excellent ability, to unify the properties of ceramic phase with the metallic phase which has been useful in gearing up the extensive research activites all around the world. Present work is focused on the study of age hardening behaviour of Aluminium LM-4/ Zircon sand composite produced by the stir casting technique. Water and Brine solution has been used as the quenching media. Thermal ageing has been done at different temperature, time and quenching media. Microhardness and wear tests were performed on the samples obtained from the stir casting process. The results of ageing demonstrate that the microhardness of the composite depend on the quenching medium in which they are heat treated. Scanning Electron Microscopy of the samples was conducted to analyze the distribution pattern of the reinforced material in the matrix alloy. X-ray Diffraction was performed to know the presence of the phases of reinforced material.