Author : A.Sivaprakash and S.Sathish

Aluminum-based composites find its importance in the field of automobile and aerospace industries owing to their improved mechanical and microstructure properties are utilized for producing cylindrical components in LM6 alloy. Among all types of metal matrix composites (MMCs), considerable attention has been paid towards synthesis and characterization of aluminum matrix composites due to its light weight and ease of processing. Different types of dispersoids like SiC, alumina, Si3N4, TiO2, etc., have been used as reinforcement materials in the form of fibers, whiskers or particulates in aluminum alloy matrix. Among all the available types of composite materials, particle reinforced composites are the most promising ones owing to their, isotropic material properties and low cost. Many researchershave reported that addition of ceramic particles to aluminum matrix do enhance its mechanical properties. Hence, aluminum reinforced with ceramic particles is one of the popular groups of MMCs. However, there exists still problems in producing good quality particle reinforced MMCs.In this view, LM6 alloy with varying contents of Al2O3 and Si3N4 is going to be fabricated because of its excellent mechanical and microstructure properties like strong bonding, high hardness, good thermal shock resistance, resist strong acid attacks, wear resistance, long life and so on . In addition LM6 alloys reinforced with Al2O3 and Si3N4 material is not fabricated previously through squeeze casting method. Squeeze casting has its own advantages such as maximum utilization of material, low porosity, good surface finish, near net shape product and so on. All this factors motivates to fabricate the alloy through squeeze casting and to study its characteristics.

Keywords: Al-MMCs, Squeeze casting, LM6, Silicon nitride, Wear resistance.

Article published in International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Sciences 2014, Special Issue-2 (Feb 2014)