Castable composites and their application in automobiles

Abstract

Aluminium alloy based metal matrix composites (MMCs) have attracted attention in the automobile sector owing to ease of manufacturing, high specific strength properties, and better wear resistance. The stir casting or liquid metallurgy technique is the most economic and direct route for producing near-net-shape MMC components. In the present investigation, an Al-4.5%Cu alloy MMC with fly ash particles has been cast by the stir casting technique. Properties such as density, hardness, wear, and tensile and compression strength of the MMC have been evaluated. Further, to test the applicability of this composite as a bearing, a bush was prepared from the composite and tested under lubricated conditions for 200 h. The bush made from the composite showed more resistance to wear than the base alloy. A cylinder liner was cast from the composite and then tested in a two-stroke petrol engine. No seizure was observed even after 400 h of testing.