EVERGREEN

Joint Journal of Novel Carbon Resource Sciences and Green Asia Strategy

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Effect of SiC and B₄C Reinforcements on the Structural and Mechanical Properties of Aluminum Composites Fabricated by Spark Plasma Sintering

Shaafi T1, Kalaimani M2,*, Karthick S3, Senthilkumar N4
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India, 602105, India
2Department of Mechanical Engineering, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India, India
3Department of mechanical Engineering, Excel engineering college, Komarapalayam, Namakkal. 637303, India
4Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ganesh College of Engineering,
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:
E-mail: kalaimani.m.example@university.edu (KM)
Received: January 30, 2025 | Revised: May 30, 2025 | Accepted: June 04, 2025 | Published: June 2025
Abstract
Aluminum composites have been used for their low weight, more effective wear resistance, and suitability for high-strength purposes. It is capable of enduring the challenging environments commonly encountered in automotive and aerospace applications. The spark plasma sintering (SPS) methods, conducted at 550 °C, enhanced the aluminum matrix with ceramic particles of SiC and B₄C at varying weight percentages of 5, 10, and 15 wt.%, resulting in distinct aluminum composites, such as Al/SiC and Al/B₄C composites. In the SPS method, particle size and densification range are the primary reasons for the increase in porosity, which affects the grain structure and mechanical characteristics of the aluminum composite. The study evaluated the composite's material grain structure, density, and mechanical properties. It has been noted that the mechanical properties change and the type of reinforcement used within specific limits. Aluminum composites reinforced with ceramics exhibit improved mechanical strength. At 15 wt.% reinforcement, Al/B₄C had the maximum microhardness (88 Hv), which was higher than Al/SiC (80 Hv) with the same, brittleness occurred upward. At 10 wt.%, the highest tensile strength was reached, with Al/B₄C-210.56 MPa and Al/SiC-194.37 MPa. The material's brittleness was demonstrated by Al/B₄C, which exhibited an elongation of 8.76%, and Al/SiC was 8.97%. This indicates that the material was brittle. At 10 wt.%, Al/SiC had a greater compressive strength (257 MPa) than Al/B₄C (252 MPa). The mechanical properties of both composites were greatest when 10 wt.% reinforcement was added.
Keywords
Aluminum composite ; Mechanical property ; Spark plasma sintering ; Structural property
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