Numerical and experimental study of bending and tensile behavior for the aluminum-silicon composite beam reinforced by alumina

Abstract EN

This research includes experimental and numerical analysis using finite element method by ANSYS11 package to study effect of reinforcement of Aluminum Silicon with ceramic particles (Alumina) for-different beam width (12, 14 and 16 mm) on the hardiness and bending properties.

The composite material is produced using the vortex technique by cutting the base alloy to small pieces and put inside steel crucible.

Put the steel crucible inside gas furnace in temperature (700oC).

The electrical mixer used to vortex the mixture and adding the aluminum oxide particles (Alumina) (5 % and 10 %) and after that pouring the melting in metallic mold.

The results of the study showed that Vickers micro hardness increased from (HV=105) for pure Aluminum –Silicon alloy to (HV=127) with (10%) Alumina, also the tensile strength increased from (95 Mpa) to (135 Mpa).

The maximum flexural strength was (451 MPa) and the maximum shear stress was (33 MPa) at (width=16 mm) with volume fraction (10 %) of Alumina.

the maximum strain decrease with increased volume fraction of Alumina.

The experimental and finite element results obtained are approximately agreement.