Evaluation of microstructure and mechanical properties of squeeze overcast Al7075-Cu composite joints

Al7075-Cu composite joints were prepared by the squeeze overcast process.The effects of melt temperature,die temperature,and squeeze pressure on hardness and ultimate tensile strength(UTS)of squeeze overcast Al7075-Cu composite joints were studied.The experimental results depict that squeeze pressure is the most significant process parameter affecting the hardness and UTS.The optimal values of UTS(48 MPa)and hardness(76 HRB)are achieved at a melt temperature of 800℃,a die temperature of 250℃,and a squeeze pressure of 90 MPa.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)shows that fractured surfaces show flatfaced morphology at the optimal experimental condition.Energy-dispersive spectroscopy(EDS)analysis depicts that the atomic weight percentage of Zn decreases with an increase in melt temperature and squeeze pressure.The optimal mechanical properties of the Al7075-Cu overcast joint were achieved at the Al2Cu eutectic phase due to the large number of copper atoms that dispersed into the aluminum melt during the solidification process and the formation of strong intermetallic bonds.Gray relational analysis integrated with the Taguchi method was used to develop an optimal set of control variables for multi-response parametric optimization.Confirmatory tests were performed to validate the effectiveness of the employed technique.The manufacturing of squeeze overcast Al7075-Cu composite joints at optimal process parameters delivers a great indication to acknowledge a new method for foundry practitioners to manufacture materials with superior mechanical properties.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of 45 vol.%SiC_p/7075Al Composite

Microstructure and mechanical behavior of high volume content SiCp/7xxxAl composites have not been explored yet. Therefore, in the present work, 45 vol.% SiCp/7075Al composite has been prepared by pres- sure infiltration method. High density dislocations were found around SiC/Al interface in SiCp/7075Al composite after water-quenching and aging treatment. Fine dispersed nano-η＇ phases were observed after the aging treatment. Adverse to other SiCp/Al composites prepared by the pressure infiltration method, an interface layer was observed between SiC particles and AI matrix. Furthermore, high-resolution trans- mission electron microscopy （HRTEM） observation indicated that this interface layer was coherent/semi- coherent with that of the SiC particles. 45 vol.% SiCp/7075Al composite demonstrated high tensile strength （630 MPa） and micro-ductility. Compared to aged SiCp/2024Al composite, the aged SiCp/7075Al com- posite showed an increase of about 200% in the tensile strain and 90% in the tensile strength, respectively. It is speculated that nano-η＇ phases in the Al matrix significantly contributed to the strengthening effect while the interface layer between SiC and AI matrix might be beneficial to the strength and plasticity of SiCp/7075Al composite.

Optimizing machining parameters of wire-EDM process to cut Al7075/SiCp composites using an integrated statistical approach

Metal matrix composites （MMCs） as advanced materials, while producing the components with high dimensional accuracy and intricate shapes, are more complex and cost effective for machining than conventional alloys. It is due to the presence of discontinuously distributed hard ceramic with the MMCs and involvement of a large number of machining control variables. However, determination of optimal machining conditions helps the process engineer to make the process efficient and effec- tive. In the present investigation a novel hybrid multi-response optimization approach is proposed to derive the economic machining conditions for MMCs. This hybrid approach integrates the concepts of grey relational analysis （GRA）, principal component analysis （PCA） and Taguchi method （TM） to derive the optimal machining conditions. The machining experiments are planned to machine A17075/SiCp MMCs using wire-electrical discharge machining （WEDM） process. SiC particulate size and its weight percentage are explicitly considered here as the process variables along with the WEDM input variables. The derived optimal process responses are confirmed by the experimental validation tests and the results show satisfactory. The practical possibility of the derived optimal machining conditions is also analyzed and presented using scanning electron microscope （SEM） examinations. According to the growing industrial need of making high performance, low cost components, this investigation provides a simple and sequential approach to enhance the WEDM performance while machining MMCs.