Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
6TH INTERNATIONAL BLACK SEA MODERN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH CONGRESS, Trabzon, Türkiye, 23 - 25 Ağustos 2024, ss.417-424
In recent decades, aluminum (Al) and its alloys have been increasingly favored in the automotive industry for reducing vehicle weight, saving energy, and mitigating the environmental impact of CO2 emissions. Among these alloys, aluminum-copper (Al-Cu) alloys are widely used in automotive and aerospace applications due to their low density and precipitation hardenability. The B319 aluminum alloy (Al-Si-Cu based) is mainly chosen for manufacturing pistons, engine blocks, and cylinder materials due to its excellent castability and high-strength properties. Despite these desirable characteristics, there is still a need to enhance the mechanical properties of the B319 alloy by reinforcing it with ceramic particles. The B319 Al alloy was reinforced with TiC ceramic particles at weight percentages of 5%, 10%, and 15% using the powder metallurgy method. A 3D ball mixer was employed to ensure homogeneous distribution and good wettability of the ceramic particles within the matrix alloy. The mixing process was carried out for 240 minutes at a 1/5 powder-to-ball ratio without altering the spherical morphology of the matrix powders to avoid difficulties during the pressing stage. Subsequently, the mixed powders were consolidated at 550°C under a pressure of 350 MPa for 60 minutes using the hot pressing method. The microstructure, density, and hardness of the experimental samples were analyzed. The experimental results indicated that the composite powders mixed using the 3D high-energy ball mixer were homogeneously distributed, as confirmed by SEM analysis. The highest values were obtained in the sample containing 15% TiC reinforcement when comparing the density and microhardness results. Based on the outcomes of this study, it was observed that using a 3D ball mixer significantly reduced common issues such as agglomeration and excessive porosity typically encountered in composite material production. As a result of the low porosity and homogeneous distribution of ceramic particles, high density and microhardness values were achieved.