Fabrication and Characterization of Aluminium Composite Reinfoced with Silicon Carbide And Areca Leaf Sheath Fiber Ash

Hybrid Aluminium Matrix Composites (HAMC) is of greater importance in the present industrial scenario due to its improved mechanical properties and low cost. In this study, HAMC having Aluminium (LM25) as matrix and silicon carbide (SiC), Areca Leafsheath Fiber Ash (ALFA) as reinforcements was fabricated using stir casting. 3%, 5%, 7% weight fractions of ALFA and 7%, 5%, 3%weight fractions of SiC respectively reinforced with the 90 % weight fraction of matrix to form three samples of different composition. Density measurement, estimated percentage porosity, tensile testing, impact testing, hardness testing, corrosion testing and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) examination was used to characterize the samples. Results show that tensile strength of composite increases with decrease in ALFA content and elongation is least for 5% of each reinforcements.Hardness and impact energy remains same with different ALFA compositions.Density decreases with increase in ALFA content. FESEM result shows agglomerated reinforcements in compositions except insample with 5% SiC and 5% ALFA. For composition with 5% sic and 5%ALFA shows uniform distribution. Good corrosion resistance of Aluminium was reflected on the samples.