Fabrication and Characterization of hybrid aluminium-fly ash-graphite composite

Abstract

In the present paper, an aluminium metal composite with fly ash and graphite as the reinforcement were prepared using the stir casting route. The effects of reinforcements on the hardness of the Al 6061 were evaluated using a Brinell hardness tester and optical micrographs and XRD analysis was done to inspect the distribution of the reinforcements in the Al 6061 matrix. It was observed that the introduction of reinforcements in the Al matrix greatly influenced the surface hardness. There was about 32 % improvement in the hardness value. Optical micrographs also indicated the homogeneous distribution of reinforcements in the aluminium matrix.