Experimental investigation on the impact of mechanical properties of SiC, Al2O3 and ZrSiO4 particles on AA6063 composites

In this research, processing temperature and the addition of micro-sized SiC, Al2O3, and ZrSiO4 to AA6063 metal matrix composites affects the mechanical properties investigated. A stir casting technique was used to evenly disperse SiC, ZrSiO4, and Al2O3 particles in an AA6063 matrix composite. Because the bonding between the ceramic and AA6063 interfaces reduced the mobility of the grain and twin boundaries, ceramic/aluminum composites could withstand greater external loads. The results show that reinforcing quantities of AA6063- ZrSiO4 composites were softer than AA6063- Al2O3 and AA6063-SiC composites. The results reveal a sweet spot for ceramic content in composites where the final tensile strength and hardness are optimal. The numbers proved to be percentages: 6–12 % for AA6063-SiC composites, 6–12 % for AA6063- ZrSiO4 composites, and 18 % for AA6063-Al2O3 composites. These experiments show that ceramic-reinforced composites have greatly improved tensile strength and hardness. The most beneficial additions are ZrSiO4 and Al2O3, which boost tensile strength by 53 % and hardness by 127 %, respectively.