A systematic overview on fabrication aspects and methods of aluminum metal matrix composites

Abstract Aluminum metal matrix composites (AlMMCs) have been incredibly popular in different industries because of their well-known properties as good formability and high castability. AlMMCs have exceptionally good mechanical characteristics and fairly low costs, so they are a very feasible choice for various applications. The popular materials for specialized applications are primarily AlMMCs, as their characteristics can be customized by the selection of reinforcement materials according to requirements. AlMMCs are preferred and extensively used in industries as well as other domestic applications. The versatility of such composites is that their mechanical properties can effectively be configured in any manner by choosing their composition of reinforcing and matrix materials, but AlMMCs have significant weaknesses in terms of production expense. Research is required to build AlMMCs that are cost-effective and work on high-temperature industrial applications. The key goal is therefore to develop a cost-effective manufacturing process. The emphasis of this paper is a study on effective and popular methods for the fabrication of AlMMCs, including liquid, solid fabrication routes such as the compo-casting method, stir-casting, squeeze-casting and powder metallurgy. This paper discusses these production processes. This article aims to include a literature analysis of the current basic approaches utilized to produce AlMMCs and their technological applications.