Investigations on Al 7075 /nano-SiC/ B4C hybrid reinforcements using liquid casting method

Abstract Aluminum-based metal matrix nanocomposites are advanced materials established for light-weight and greater strength applications in the automotive industry due to excellent wear resistance and higher stiffness. In this work, light-weight aluminum alloy enhanced with SiC with varying weight portions (1, 2, 3, and 4%) and a consistent weight percent of boron carbide (3%) with a typical particle size of 50 nm was selected and fabricated by casting procedure. The impact of enhancement of different weight percentages of SiC and B4C particle reinforcement on microstructure, mechanical, and wear properties has been studied. Tensile strength and microhardness are enhanced, while the density and the percentage of elongation are minimized. Compared to the base alloy, a 4% weight percentage of SiC/B4C reinforced composites improve 10% increase in tensile strength and microhardness. The 4 wt% of SiC/ B4C reinforced composites showed a 5% decrease in density and a reduction of 12% in elongation. Microstructural analysis was carried out using SEM to identify the particles\u0027 uniform distribution in the light-weight aluminum matrix.