Effect of tungsten carbide and titanium dioxide particles on the properties of aluminium alloy 5052 hybrid composites Einfluss von Wolframkarbid- und Titandioxidpartikeln auf die Eigenschaften von Hybridverbundwerkstoffen aus der Aluminiumlegierung AW-5052

Aerospace and automotive industries, among others, utilize reinforced aluminium metal matrix composite materials extensively. Aluminium alloy 5052 matrix was reinforced with tungsten carbide and titanium dioxide particulate reinforcements by varying their weight fractions, to fabricate the hybrid composites. The melt-stir casting route was used to process the materials, and their characteristics were determined by measuring Vickers microhardness, tensile strength and peak elongation. The cost-effectiveness and productivity of the melt-stir casting route led to its selection. Investigations were carried out to assess how reinforcement particles were mixed into the aluminium alloy matrix using scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray analysis. The microstructure of aluminium alloy 5052 showed a distinct homogenous structural integrity. Adding tungsten carbide and titanium dioxide particles to aluminium alloy 5052 led to a 6.57 % rise in the Vickers microhardness value. The tensile strength of the hybrid composites made of aluminium, tungsten carbide, and titanium dioxide increased by as much as 8.7 %. The findings demonstrated that all of the hybrid composites failed due to particle fracture and ductile fracture in the case of the as-cast aluminium alloy 5052.