Experimental investigation of electric discharge machining behaviour of TiC and graphite reinforced aluminium hybrid composites

In the current work, aluminum composites enhanced with graphite and titanium carbide (TiC) were fabricated using a liquid metallurgy route to guarantee uniform dispersion. TiC and graphite particles were added as reinforcements to the aluminum 6061 matrix. The EDM method was used to assess the machinability. Commercial EDM oil served as a dielectric, and copper served as the tool. Tool wear rate (TWR), material removal rate (MRR), and roughness (Ra) were observed in relation to essential parameters such as pulse off time, current, and pulse on time. The findings demonstrated that an increase in current and pulse-on duration raised MRR, it had a impact on surface quality. In addition to lowering TWR, graphite improved surface quality and acted as a solid lubricant, while TiC improved resistance to wear. Using SEM and common EDM features such craters, microcracks, and re-solidified layers, the surface morphology was examined. The research indicates that the machinability and surface quality of composites containing TiC and gr particles can be considerably improved.