A Review on Fabrication and Mechanical Characterization of Particulate Reinforced Al-7075 Metal Matrix Composites/Hybrid Composites

Abstract

Nowadays almost all the industries around the globe are using the composites instead of ferrous alloys to produce the low weight mechanical elements/components without scarifying the properties of the materials being used. The aluminium is a best substitute to conventional materials due to their ‘low weight’, ‘corrosion resistance’, ‘high strength’ and ‘low density’ properties/ characteristics. Aluminium Metal Matrix (AMM) composites are the trending materials to be used in various engineering applications having the capacity to accomplish the required demand. The specific/ desired properties can be obtained by adding the reinforcement fillers like SiC, TiC, B4C, Tungsten Carbide, Fe, stainless steel, Oxides, Nitrides, Molybdenum Disulphide, fly ash, Graphite, red mud, Agro waste powders like coconut shell ash (CSA), rice husk ash (RHA), palm kernel shell ash (PKSA), bagasse ash, maize stalk ash, been shell waste ash, Bamboo leaf ash, corn cob ash, aloe Vera powder, Egg shell ash and snail shell ash etc., to the Aluminium matrix material. Many researchers have studied the effect of reinforcing materials to the Aluminium matrix to enrich the ‘metallurgical and mechanical’ characteristics with the modification in texture and surface of the composite. The present review article aims to study the technique of stir casting to fabricate Al-7075 based metal matrix and hybrid composites with the incorporation of above reinforcement particulates and how the addition of above reinforcing materials to Al-7075 matrix has enhanced the properties like compressive strength, impact strength, hardness, fracture toughness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance with the reduction in density of composite. The influence of type, size and shape of the reinforcing materials on characteristics of Al-7075 metal matrix composites and the possible reasons of increase/decrease in physical/ mechanical characteristics are studied.