Vijaykumar Chavan
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Basaveshwar Engineering College, Bagalkot, 587101, India
Dayanand Goudar
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tontadarya College of Engineering, Gadag, 582101, India
Vinay V. Kuppast
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Basaveshwar Engineering College, Bagalkot, 587101, India
Rajashekar V. Kurahatti
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Basaveshwar Engineering College, Bagalkot, 587101, India
Mangalppa M. Naik
Department of Mechanical Engineering, B.V.V.S Polytechnic, Bagalkot, 587101, India
In this research, the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-15Si-10Zn-xZrO2 (x = 5, 7 and 10 wt.%) composites synthesized by the stir-casting process have been investigated. The matrix and composite samples were characterized using an X-ray diffraction test (XRD) and their microstructures were studied using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The microstructure of different phases was analyzed using energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The microstructure of the Al-15Si-10Zn/ZrO2 composites consisted of coarse primary Si, needlelike eutectic Si, and Zn-rich phases, with ZrO2 reinforcement particles distributed homogeneously in the composites. The micro-hardness and tensile properties of the matrix and composites were determined at room temperature. The results show significant improvements in the micro-hardness and tensile strength of the composites compared to the matrix alloy. The micro-hardness of the stir-cast composites increased by 24%, 44%, and 58% in the 5, 7, and 10 wt% ZrO2 reinforcement composites, respectively. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the 5, 7, and 10 wt% ZrO2 composites increased by 17%, 30%, and 44%, respectively, compared to the matrix alloy. The increased content of ZrO2 resulted in an increase in hardness, ultimate tensile and yield strengths and a decrease in ductility.
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Copyright © 2023 Vijaykumar Chavan, Dayanand Goudar, Vinay V. Kuppast, Rajashekar V. Kurahatti, Mangalppa M. Naik
This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.
