Mechanical and Tribological Analysis of the Fabricated Al 6063-based MMCs with SiC Reinforcement Particles

Metal matrix composites (MMCs) based on aluminium (Al) are being employed extensively in the aerospace and automotive industries due to their remarkable strength-to-weight ratio. When reinforced with silicon carbide (SiC) particles, Al-based MMCs exhibit advantageous properties. With the addition of SiC, the density of the MMCs rises. SiC particle has a positive effect on the base matrix because it improves its mechanical characteristics, such as hardness and tensile strength. This investigation summarizes the comprehensive evaluation of the physical, mechanical, and tribology characteristics of the Al 6063 alloy with SiC particles of different particle sizes and weight percentages (wt.%) simultaneously. The stir casting process is used to manufacture Al 6063-based MMCs. From the microstructural investigation, it is seen that the distribution of SiC particles is uniform following successful fabrication. Al-6063 alloy and its composites underwent experimental examination to determine their ultimate tensile strength, compressive strength, microhardness, and wear behaviour. Hardness and toughness measurements show that mechanical qualities raise to a particular wt.% and then these fall with an increase of the same because of the development of larger and more numerous pores and clustering. The wear patterns of the composites have been tested with a pin-on-disc wear testing machine. Wear test using a load of 20 N and a sliding time of 25 min is performed on every fabricated MMCs. The MMCs with 9 wt.% of 25 µm size SiC particle has the lowest coefficient of friction and wear rate. The wear behaviour of the MMCs is also assessed by studying the images of a scanning electron microscope.