Experimental evaluation of the influence of processing parameters on the mechanical properties of SiC particle reinforced AA6061 aluminium alloy matrix composite by powder processing

Metal matrix composites have been developed and are being used across all segments of the industry due to its advantages of higher specific strength, Young's modulus and enhanced wear properties. However the development of MMC through powder processing poses problems in achieving the required interface strength and near theoretical density especially during sintering. This paper is intended to understand the influence of processing parameters on the mechanical properties like sintered density and micro hardness. It has been observed that the compacting pressure and reinforcement percentage have higher impact than the sintering temperature on microhardness and density. Further to evaluate the fracture resistance strength, sintered composites have been subjected to static ball indentation. It has been observed that higher reinforcement and compacting pressure enhance the failure load while sintering temperature and time exert constrained influence.