An investigation on the influence of sintering temperature on microstructural, physical and mechanical properties of Cu-SiC composites

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the sintering temperature on the microstructural, mechanical and physical properties of Cu-SiC composites. Design/methodology/approach The powder metallurgy route was used to fabricate the samples. Cold compaction of powders was conducted at 250 MPa which was followed by sintering at 850°C–950°C at the interval of 50 °C in the open atmospheric furnace. SiC was used as a reinforcement and the volumetric fraction of the SiC was varied as 10%, 15% and 20%. The processed samples were metallurgically characterized by the scanning electron microscope (SEM). Mechanical characterization was done using tensile and Vickers’ micro-hardness testing to check the hardness and strength of the samples. Archimedes principle and Four-point collinear probe method were used to measure the density and electrical resistivity of the samples. Findings SEM micrograph reveals the uniform dispersion of the SiC particles in the Cu matrix element. The results revealed that the Hardness and tensile strength were improved due to the addition of SiC and were maximum for the samples sintered at 950 °C. The addition of SiC has also increased the electrical resistivity of the Cu-SiC composite and was lowest for Cu 100% while the relative density has shown the reverse trend. Further, it was found that the maximum hardness of 91.67 Hv and ultimate tensile strength of 312.93 MPa were found for Cu-20% SiC composite and the lowest electrical resistivity of 2.017 µ- Ω-cm was found for pure Cu sample sintered at 950 °C, and this temperature was concluded as the optimum sintering temperature. Research limitations/implications The powder metallurgy route for the fabrication of the composites is a challenging task as the trapping of oxygen cannot be controlled during the compaction process as well as during the sintering process. So, a more intensive study is required to overcome these kinds of limitations. Originality/value As of the author’s best knowledge, no work has been reported on the effect of sintering temperature on the properties of the Cu-SiC composites which has huge potential in the industries.

The effect of eggshell as a reinforcement on the mechanical and Corrosion properties of Mg-Zn-Mn matrix composite

Magnesium is a promising lightweight metal required in many industries such as automobile, aerospace, electronics, etc. It is also a biodegradable material, which eliminates the secondary removal procedure of the implant. Furthermore, its mechanical properties are similar to the mechanical properties of human bone. In this research, eggshells were used as an environmentally friendly composite reinforcement material in the Mg-2.5Zn-1Mn matrix. Composites were prepared using the powder metallurgy route. The effect of eggshells on the morphology, mechanical, and corrosion behaviour of Mg-2.5Zn-1Mn alloy was investigated. The results revealed an enhancement in grain refining ability and mechanical properties of Mg-2.5Zn-1Mn with eggshell additives. The corrosion behaviour improved at a higher percentage of eggshells (10%).

Iron-based intermetallic particles formation in Al-Zn-Si alloy through powder metallurgy route

Corrosion of the steel products is one of the significant challenges which is managed by coating with Al-Zn-based alloys. The Galvalume alloy (Al-55%, 43.5%-Zn, Si-1.5%) is coated on steel strips via a hot-dipping process. The dissolution of iron (Fe) from steel strips and the formation of Fe-based intermetallic particles is an inevitable phenomenon during the hot-dip coating process. These intermetallic particles are a primary source of massive bottom dross build-up in the coating pot and metal spot defects in the coated steel products. Therefore, it is important to investigate the formation of Fe-based intermetallic particles. In this study, Fe-based intermetallic particles are produced via the powder metallurgy route. High energy ball milling was used for mechanical alloying of aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), silicon (Si), and zinc (Zn) powders. Optimized ball milling conditions were identified after a series of trials. After cold pressing, the mechanically alloyed samples (pellets) were sintered at various conditions in a high vacuum sintering furnace. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDS) were used for the analysis of raw material, mechanically alloyed powders, and sintered pellets. It is concluded that the mechanical alloying of 6h and cold pressing at 9 tons for 30 min is sufficient to produce a dense compact material. It was found that Fe-based intermetallic particles were successfully fabricated which were α-AlFeSi. However, intermetallic particles similar to those found in the bottom dross of the coating pot are difficult to fabricate through the powder metallurgy route due to the volatilization of Zn during the sintering process.

Investigation of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Hybrid Composite Aluminum 7075 Reinforced with Sugar Cane Husk Ash (SCHA) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) by Powder Metallurgy

This paper deals with the fabrication of Al-7075 composites manufactured by powder metallurgy route reinforced with different weight percentages of Sugar Cane Husk Ash (SCHA) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) A low pressure of 400 MPa was applied for compacting the composites and sintered at a temperature of 720oC for three hour. SEM and EDX analysis was done to study the micro-structural behavior. Hardness and compression test were carried out. The hardness has been improved by adding the weight percentage of Silicon Carbide (SiC) but seems to be crash by adding the weight percentage of Sugar Cane Husk Ash (SCHA). The compressive strength was found to be varying.

A Study on Mechanical Properties of Al7068 Based Metal Matrix Composite Reinforced with Rice Husk Ash (RHA) and Silicon Carbide (SiC)

This paper deals with the fabrication of Al-7068 composites manufactured by powder metallurgy route reinforced with different weight percentages of rice husk ash (RHA) and SiC. A low pressure of 400mpa was applied for compacting the composites and sintered at a temperature of 720°C for three hour. SEM and EDX analysis was done to study the micro-structural behavior. Hardness and compression test were carried out. The hardness has been improved by adding the weight percentage of SiC but seems to be crash by adding the weight percentage of Rice Husk Ash (RHA). The compressive strength was found to be varying.