Effect of Red Mud on Mechanical and Microstructural Characteristics of Aluminum Matrix Composites

Abstract

The aim of the present paper is to study the effect of red mud on the characterization and mechanical behavior of aluminum alloy AA6082 composites reinforced with red mud. Four different volume fractions (0, 2, 4, and 6%) have been considered to fabricate the composites by stir casting route. The effect of heat treatment on mechanical properties is also investigated. Vickers micro-hardness testing and tensile testing were carried out to measure mechanical properties. Compared to the base alloy, a significant enhancement in the hardness and tensile strength is observed in the case of the red mud-reinforced composites. Furthermore, field emission scanning electron microscope analysis (FESEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) were also employed to study the microstructural evolution and elemental analysis of the composites. The tensile fractography study revealed a ductile nature of failure in terms of dimple, micro-voids, and cracks.