Role of Heat Treatment on Al6061- Frit Particulate Composites

Abstract

In recent decades, aluminium alloy based metal matrix composites are used in several applications. Al6061 has been used as matrix material due to its good formability, excellent mechanical properties and etc., wide spectrum of the applications in industrial sectors. Inclusion of Frit particulates as reinforcement in Al6061 alloy material system improves its hardness and decrease in density. In the present investigation Al6061-Frit particulate composites were produced by ‘VORTEX’ method with varying weight percentages of Frit particulate from 0 wt% to 10 wt% in steps of 2.The as cast matrix alloy and its composites have been subjected to solutionizing treatment at a temperature of 530℃ for 2 hours followed by quenching in different media such as air, water and ice. The quenched specimens were subjected to artificial ageing. Aged specimens were subjected to ultra-sonic test using ultra-sonic flaw detector testing apparatus to identify the common casting defects like porosity, blow holes. Macrostructure and microstructure studies were conducted on as cast and composites in order to investigate the distribution of frit particles retained in matrix material system. Micro structural studies were carried out to understand nature of structure. Density measurement was carried out on both Al6061matrix alloy and Al6061-Frit particulate composite. Hardness tests have been conducted both on Al6061 matrix alloy and Al6061-Frit particulate composite before and after heat treatment. It has been observed under identical heat treatment conditions adopted, Al6061-Frit particulate composites exhibited significant improvement in hardness when compared with Al6061 alloy.