Investigating Mechanical and Microstructural Characteristics of Aluminium Metal Matrix Composites (Al-MMC) Fabricated via Two-step Stir Casting Technique

Stir casting is the most appropriate method for producing metal matrix composites (MM Cs) because of its effectiveness, cost and simplicity. MM C provide numerous benefits, including enhanced tensile strength, improved fatigue and creep resistance, superior thermal expansion coefficients and lower weight and density. As a result, these benefits have attracted numerous researchers and industries, including the automotive and aerospace sectors. The present study used a two-step stir-casting method to fabricate M M C containing 12 wt% silicon carbide (SiC) particles in the Al6061 alloy. Adding SiC to the Al6061 alloy increased the hardness and strength of the composites. The fabricated aluminium-reinforced SiC (Al/SiC) composite has a density of 2.6 g/cm3, a porosity of 5.797%, a hardness of 134 HV and a tensile strength of 169 MPa. Al/SiC composite revealed 41% and 36.29% improvement in hardness and tensile strength, respectively, compared to the base alloy. Elemental and phase analyses using EDX and XRD further validated the uniform SiC distribution and the absence of undesirable phases within the composite.