In Situ Formation of ZrB2 and Its Influence on Wear and Mechanical Properties of ADC12 Alloy Mixed Matrix Composites

Abstract

In this work, aluminium alloy ADC12 reinforced with various amounts of ZrB2 (0 wt.%, 3 wt.%, 6 wt.%, 9 wt.%) were synthesized by an in-situ reaction of molten aluminium with inorganic salts K2ZrF6 & KBF4. XRD, EDAX, and SEM techniques are used for the characterization of the fabricated composite. XRD analysis revealed the successful in situ formation of ZrB2 in the composite. From the SEM images, it was concluded that the distribution of reinforcement was homogeneous in the composites. A study of mechanical and tribological properties under the dry sliding condition of ZrB2-reinforced ADC12 alloy has also been carried out. It is seen that there is an increase in tensile strength by 18.8%, hardness by 64.2%, and an increase in wear resistance of the material after reinforcement. The ductility of the material decreased considerably with an increase in the amount of reinforcement. The composite’s impact strength decreased by 27.7% because of the addition of hard ZrB2 particulates.