DEVELOPMENT OF Al-Si-Fe/SiC PARTICULATE COMPOSITES AS ADVANCED MATERIALS FOR ENGINEERING APPLICATION
DEVELOPMENT OF Al-Si-Fe/SiC PARTICULATE COMPOSITES AS ADVANCED MATERIALS FOR ENGINEERING APPLICATION
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Date
2007-08
Authors
AIGBODION, VICTOR SUNDAY
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Abstract
This work has been carried out to develop a particulate strengthened Al-Si-Fe
composites using silicon carbide as the particulate. Al-Si-Fe alloy with 5-25
weight percent silicon carbide particles were produced using the double stir
casting method. The composites were heat-treated at 500oC for 3hours and
quenched in warm water at 65oC, aged at100, 200 and 300oC with various
ageing times between 60 to 660minutes. The micro structures of the various alloy
particulate composites produced were examined. The physical and mechanical
properties measured include: densities, porosity, ageing kinetic, ultimate tensile
strength, yield strength, hardness values and impact energy. The result obtained
reveals hardness values and activation energy of diffusion increased with
increase in the weight fraction of silicon carbide and accelerates the kinetic of
ageing. The yield strength and ultimate tensile strength increased by a maximum
of 20% silicon carbide addition with general decrease in impact energy. These
results show that at 20% silicon carbide addition the composites has 9.15%,
17.79%, 29.17% and 29.85% increases in yield strength, tensile strength,
impact energy and hardness respectively over that of the as-cast samples at
peak ageing of 200OC. The increases in mechanical properties (tensile, impact
and hardness) during ageing, was attributed to formation of a coherent and
uniform precipitation of the second phase in the matrix of the metal, which
resulting from increase in the dislocation density at the particles-matrix
interfaces. These results show that the Al-Si-Fe alloy has been well enhanced by
the addition of silicon carbide using double stir casting method.
Description
DEPARTMENT OF METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA
NIGERIA
THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE POST-GRADUATE SCHOOL
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA, NIGERIA IN PARTIAL
FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF
SCIENCE (M.Sc) DEGREE IN METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING
August, 2007
Keywords
DEVELOPMENT,, PARTICULATE,, COMPOSITES,, ADVANCED,, MATERIALS,, ENGINEERING,, APPLICATION