Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
JOURNAL OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS, 2025 (SCI-Expanded)
Aluminium matrix composites (AMCs) are increasingly used in wear-critical applications, yet improving their mechanical and tribological properties remains a key challenge. This study addresses this gap by investigating the effects of different ceramic reinforcements-silicon carbide (SiC), boron carbide (B4C), and titanium carbide (TiC)-on the microstructure, hardness, and wear behaviour of AA6061-based monolithic and hybrid composites. The composites were fabricated using the powder metallurgy method, followed by compaction and sintering. Microstructural analysis revealed a uniform distribution of reinforcements and good interfacial bonding. The results showed that increasing the reinforcement ratio significantly enhanced hardness, with B4C providing the greatest improvement due to its high thermal stability and strong bonding characteristics. The AA6061/B4C monolithic composite exhibited an 85.7% increase in hardness, while the AA6061/SiC/B4C hybrid composite showed a 101.2% increase. Similarly, wear resistance improved by 46% and 47% for the B4C and B4C + SiC reinforced composites, respectively, due to the synergistic reinforcement effect. All samples showed successful densification, with relative densities between 92% and 97%, and porosity ranging from 3% to 8%. The coefficient of friction remained stable (0.1-0.2) across all samples. These findings demonstrate that B4C, especially when combined with SiC, is a highly effective reinforcement strategy for enhancing the performance of AA6061 matrix composites.