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The Effect of Micro-SiCp Content on the Tensile and Fatigue Behavior of AZ61 Magnesium Alloy Matrix Composites

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Abstract

AZ61 magnesium alloy metal matrix composites (MMCs) with different weight percentages (0, 1 and 2) of micro-silicon carbide particles (SiCp) were fabricated using stir casting method. Effects of SiCp on the microstructural distributions, mechanical and fatigue properties, and fracture surfaces have been investigated. The microstructural observations of as-cast MMCs unveil the existence of primary α-Mg phase and the presence of large amount of β-Mg17Al12 secondary phase at grain boundary. The specimens are subjected to homogenization heat treatment at 410 °C for 24 h; the β-Mg17Al12 phases are significantly dissolved in the matrix grain boundaries which enhance the ductility and decrease the hardness compared with the as-cast materials. The addition of SiCp reinforcement led to improved yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of AZ61/SiCp composite compared to the unreinforced alloy. The maximum values of YS and UTS have been attained at AZ61/1wt%SiCp composites. The enhancement of YS and UTS was due to the presence of a uniformly distributed reinforced SiCp, which depends on grain refinement of the matrix and strong interfacial bonding between the matrix and reinforcement. In the case of fatigue test results, the addition of SiCp reduced the fatigue life and strength of AZ61 alloy composite. However, addition of 1wt%SiCp showed good mechanical and fatigue properties compared to pure AZ61 magnesium alloy and AZ61/2wt%SiCp composite. Furthermore, the effects of addition of SiCp on the mechanical and fatigue properties of the composite were confirmed by using the scanning electron microscope observation of fracture surfaces.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to gratefully acknowledge the financial support to this research from the Ministry of Science and Technology of Republic of China (Project No. MOST-105-2221-E-011-058-MY2).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, 106, Taiwan

    Song-Jeng Huang, Murugan Subramani & Dawit Bogale Alemayehu

  2. Faculty of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

    Addisu Negash Ali

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, 62102, Taiwan

    Jong-Ning Aoh & Pai-Chen Lin

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Huang, SJ., Subramani, M., Ali, A.N. et al. The Effect of Micro-SiCp Content on the Tensile and Fatigue Behavior of AZ61 Magnesium Alloy Matrix Composites. Inter Metalcast 15, 780–793 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40962-020-00508-0

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