Mechanical characterization of B 4 C reinforced aluminum matrix composites produced by squeeze casting
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Amin Nekouyan Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Bogazici University, Bebek 34342, Istanbul, Turkey
Onder Albayrak Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Mersin University, Yenisehir 33343, Mersin, Turkey
Sabri Altintas Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Bogazici University, Bebek 34342, Istanbul, Turkey (Received 5 June 2016; accepted 2 December 2016)
Boron carbide (B4C) ceramic particles were used as reinforcement material to produce aluminum (Al) matrix composites by squeeze casting method. Four different B4C contents as 0, 3, 5, and 10 wt%, and three different squeeze pressures as 0, 75, and 150 MPa were used in which the samples consisted of pure Al without B4C and the samples obtained without applying pressure were used as control samples. To determine the effect of squeezing pressure and the amount of B4C added on machinability and mechanical properties, average chip length and surface roughness of the samples were evaluated and hardness measurements were accomplished, yield and ultimate tensile strengths were determined, respectively. Also, the changes in density and microstructure were investigated. B4C reinforcement was found to decrease the average chip length and density of the samples while increasing the hardness and surface roughness. On the other hand, application of squeeze pressure had a positive effect on the densification and mechanical properties of the samples. I. INTRODUCTION
Metal matrix composites (MMCs) have attracted attention in many industries for several decades. The research on MMCs is concentrated on improving the properties of the material with the focus being mostly on mechanical properties to expand the area of application and substitute conventional materials. Among MMCs, aluminum matrix composites (AMCs) are mostly preferred for their low density, high strength and toughness, good resistance, and machinability especially in automotive and aerospace applications1,2 like engine blocks3 and airframes.4 Several ceramics such as B4C,5 BN,6 SiC,7 Al2O3,8 MgO,9 Si3N4,10 TiB2,11 TiC,12 and graphite13 in particulate, whisker, or fiber forms have been researched as reinforcement materials in AMCs. Although using continuous fibers as reinforcement materials is the most effective method in terms of improving the mechanical Contributing Editor: Michele Manuel a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: [email protected] DOI: 10.1557/jmr.2016.495
properties their relatively high prices limit their use as reinforcement. On the other hand, reinforcement materials in their particulate forms are less expensive as compared to their fiber counterparts while giving sufficient improvements in mechanical properties. Together with the type of the reinforcement material appropriate dispersion of the particles in the matrix also plays a vital role in the final product quality.14 B4C being the third hardest material (3800 HV) after diamond and boron nitride has attractive mechanical properties such as high strength, lo
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