Effect of Compaction Loads in Machining of Short Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Aluminum Composite

Carbon fibers are preferred as reinforcements in metal matrix composites for their mechanical and metallurgical properties. In the present study, short carbon fiber-reinforced aluminum composites are fabricated with 2% reinforcement in pure aluminum powders using a powder metallurgy process. The blended carbon fibers and aluminum powders are compacted for different loading conditions such as 250, 300 and 350 kN followed by sintering at 580 °C. Abrasive jet machining trials are conducted on all combinations, by varying the machining parameters. Carbon fibers are found to be well dispersed in the aluminum matrix when examined through SEM. The bonding between the carbon fibers and aluminum is also found to be without any flaw. The mechanical properties showed improvements in wear resistance and hardness of composites when compared to pure aluminum. The machining parameters are further studied to obtain improved surface finish and minimize delamination of carbon fibers from the metal matrix.