Stir Casting of SiC Reinforced Aluminum Composites From Waste Aluminum

Abstract

Aluminum and its alloys are widely used in automotive, aviation, defense industries because of its low density, process ability, high strength. Aluminum matrix composites are usually manufactured by powder metallurgy or liquid methods. As a liquid processing method, stir casting method is a cheaper and easier method than powder metallurgy. When waste beverage cans are recycled and used as matrix material for manufacturing composite material, cost of process is reduced and also environmental pollution is reduced. In this study, silicon carbide (SiC) reinforced aluminum matrix composites have been manufactured. From the manufactured composites specimens have been prepared and hardness, density, compressive, tensile, tests; XRD and SEM analyses have been applied. From the obtained results with the reinforcement of SiC, hardness value has been increased from 70.1 HV to 89.90 HV. Also, from SEM analyses it is observed that SiC particles have been dispersed homogeneously.