Production of Al-4.5% Cu Alloy Reinforced Fly Ash and SiC Hybrid Composite by Direct Squeeze Casting.

Abstract

Today the use of composites will be a clear choice in many instances especially in automobile and aerospace sector. Material selection in others will depend on factors such as working life span necessities, number of items to be produced, convolution of product shape, possible savings in assembly costs and on the experience & skills of the designer in drumming the optimum potential of composites. Composites produced using waste as reinforcements helps not only clearing environmental issues but also helps in increasing mechanical properties of the composites. One of the inexpensively available and also coming as waste form thermal power plant is fly ash. In the present investigation fly ash and SiC reinforced Al-4.5% Cu composites containing 2%fly ash with 2,4,6% SiC and 4%fly ash with 2,4,6% SiC fabricated by direct squeeze casting technique. The composites was analysed by measuring the hardness, tensile, compression, impact and wear behaviour. Microstructure of the composites was observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results indicate that the hardness, tensile, compression, impact and wear resistance increases with increase in percentage of fly ash and SiC. Microstructure shows better bonding between matrix particle interface and no fracture observed.