Age hardening behaviour of Al-Si-Mg alloy matrix/zircon and alumina hybrid composite

Abstract

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";="" mso-ansi-language:en-gb;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-GB">In the present study Al-Si-Mg alloy matrix/hybrid composite reinforced with zircon and alumina particles were produced by stir casting technique. The composites were synthesized with varying wt % of zircon and alumina particles, limiting the total wt % to 15. Cast samples were solution treated at a temperature of 540ºC for 3 hours in an electrical resistance furnace. The aging behaviour of age hardenable Al-Si-Mg alloy and the composites were examined by optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Microhardness measurement was carried out on both the unreinforced alloy and as well as the composites. The addition of reinforcement particles was found to accelerate the aging response of the composites by reducing the time to attain the peak hardness.</span>