Effect of conventional and microwave sintering on the microstructural and mechanical properties of AA7075/SiC/ZrC hybrid MMCs through powder metallurgy route

ABSTRACT

In this work, AA7075/SiC/ZrC hybrid metal matrix composite was successfully fabricated by powder metallurgy route. The influence of conventional and microwave sintering on the microstructural and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. SEM, XRD and XRF Analysis were used to investigate the microstructure of the samples. The compression strength and hardness were determined using a Universal Testing Machine and Rockwell Hardness setup respectively. It can be concluded that the specimen which is fabricated with a reinforcement of 15% SiC and 3% ZrC with microwave sintering shows the best mechanical characteristics with hardness reaching 92HRB, a compression strength of 200 MPa and better microstructural property than the conventionally sintered specimens. This work has applications in the aerospace and automotive industries for the manufacturing of composite materials that can endure high temperatures.

Keywords
Hybrid metal matrix composite; Powder metallurgy; XRF analysis; Ball milling; Microwave sintering