Abstract—Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) have been developed to meet the demand for lighter materials with high specific strength, stiffness and wear resistance. Particulate reinforced Aluminium Matrix Composites (AMCs) are attractive materials due to their strength, ductility, toughness. Their ability to be produced by conventional methods adds to the advantage. The aluminium matrix can be strengthened by reinforcing with hard ceramic particles like SiC, Al2 O3 and B4 C, etc. Judicious selection of the variables is important to optimize the properties of composites. The shape and size of reinforcement particles and matrix composition have to be carefully chosen. In this paper an effort is made to enhance the mechanical properties like tensile strength and hardness of AMCs by reinforcing 6061Al matrix with B4 C reinforcement. By stir casting route, aluminium matrix was reinforced with 105 µm size boron carbide particulates of 6, 8, 10, 12 wt% respectively. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the fabricated AMCs was analyzed. The optical microstructure images reveal the homogeneous dispersion of B4C particles in the matrix. The reinforcement dispersion has also been identified with X-Ray Diffraction (XRD).The tensile strength and hardness was found to increase with the increase in the wt% of reinforcement.

Index Terms—MMCs, Boron carbide particulate, Reinforcement, Matrix, XRD

Cite: Gopal Krishna U B, Sreenivas Rao K V, and Vasudeva B, "Effect of Percentage Reinforcement of B4C on the Tensile Property of Aluminium Matrix Composites," International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics Research, Vol.1, No.3, pp. 290-295, October 2012.