Reinforcement of AA1237 with Al2O3 to form Metal Matrix Composite

Abstract

Abstract The fabrication of advanced materials which possess an array of desired properties is a significant accomplishment of humanity. Composites are described as enhanced materials as they possess various advantages over conventional materials, which is why these composite materials are seen as viable alternatives in diverse engineering fields such as the aerospace, electronics and automobile industries. This work involved the fabrication of a metallic composite with the use of aluminium (AA1237) and crushed Al2O3 ceramic particles of 150nm and 600nm sizes as the reinforcement. The manufacturing of these composite samples was accomplished using the liquid phase process of stir casting, and they were subjected to various mechanical and electrical tests. For both hardness and tensile tests, the specimen Al/Al2O3/10p/150nm ( 10 per cent) had the highest values with 14.9 HBS and 124.41 MPa respectively. The electrical conductivity test affirmed the presence of non-conductive ceramic particles in the composite samples as the control (AA1237) had the highest conductivity value.