Comparative Analysis on Mechanical Properties of Al 6061 and Al 7075 Cross Matrix Composites

Aluminum alloy 6061 and aluminum alloy 7075 (or simply denoted as Al 6061 and Al 7075, respectively) are widely used in the field of aviation, automobiles, and marine due to their exceptional properties such as good strength, lightweight, and better corrosion. In this paper, Al 6061 and Al 7075 are used as base materials for reinforcement to further enhance their mechanical properties. Alumina, silicon carbide, boron carbide, and titanium oxide are used as reinforcement particles. The cross matrix composites of Al 6061 and Al 7075 are produced by the widely used stir casting method. The different weight percentages of reinforcement particles are used to prepare different composition of cross composites. The resultant composites are heat-treated in T6 condition and machined in the suitable dimension for testing. The mechanical characterization was carried out by performing hardness, tensile, and impact tests, and their results have been presented. Moreover, the comparison of mechanical properties of alloys Al 6061 and Al 7075 is also given; specifically, the tensile stress and impact value of Al 6061 are shown to be increased when the reinforcement particles are added comparing to Al 7075 cross composites.