INVESTIGATION OF MICROSTRUCTURAL EVOLUTION AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF SURFACE GRAPHITIZED AL-1100 ALLOY

This paper explains about the mechanical insertion of graphite particles into aluminum (Al-1100) surface for forming composites on the surface through an electrical resistance heat-supported pressing procedure. The surface of the aluminum is first graphite coated by solution casting. To achieve impregnation, the graphite–aluminum interface is locally heated with the assistance of electrical resistance heating followed by mechanical pushing. The degree to which aluminum surface softens can be regulated by process factors like current and heating time. Microstructural characterization of aluminum–graphite composite was carried out with SEM, TEM, Raman spectroscopy and XRD. It was revealed from the microstructural characterization that graphite particles were impregnated into the aluminum surface without agglomeration. Raman spectroscopy of graphite-impregnated surface shows a shift in major graphite peaks and an increased ratio of intensity ($I_D/I_G$). The presence of carbide compound (Al₄C₃) was not detected from the XRD and TEM studies. The mechanical property examination of the surface was carried out by nanoindentation and the subsurface was characterized by microhardness tests. It was observed that surface mechanical property and reduced Young’s modulus were improved by more than 200% and 150%, respectively. The projected method can be utilized as a surface modification technique in solid-state by fabricating surface composites fabricated through mechanical insertion of particulate reinforcement at sub-melting temperatures of substrate and under an open producing environment.