Workability studies on Al+2.5%TiO2+Gr powder metallurgy composites during cold upsetting

Abstract

Al+2.5%TiO2+Gr composites were synthesized through powder metallurgy technique and their workability behavior has been studied under tri-axial stress state condition. The powders were compacted using suitable punch and die in 400 kN hydraulic press and sintered at a temperature of about 590 ºC for a period of 3 hours in an electric muffle furnace. The sintered preforms were characterized by XRD and SEM analysis. Then the preforms were subjected to incremental compressive loading of 10 kN until the cracks found at the free surface. The true axial stress (σz), true hoop stress (σ}), true hydrostatic stress (σσm) true effective stress (σeff), formability stress index (β) and stress ratio parameters [(σz/σeff), (σm/σeff), (σ}/σeff)] were calculated for all the preforms and these are correlated with the true axial strain (e z). It is inferred that, the addition of TiO2 and Gr to the Al matrix material increases the stress ratio parameters and formability stress index (β). A hardness test was also conducted for sintered and cold forged preforms and results are reported.

Keywords

• metal matrix composites
• cold upsetting
• powder metallurgy