Experimental Investigation of Mechanical Properties of NI/CU Hybrid Reinforced 7075 Aluminum Alloy Composites

Particle-reinforced metal matrix composites (MMC) in the form of hybrid composites are commonly used in many applications where the components are prone to wear and tear. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze various mechanical properties such as fracture toughness behavior and wear behavior of metal matrix composites. Various types of particulate metal fillers have been reported to be used as reinforcing fillers in metal matrices, but the use of metal powders for this purpose has not been fully investigated. In this study, a new class of hybrid reinforced aluminum alloy composites was developed using a nickel/copper metal powder filler. We also analyzed the effect of the weight percent of copper and nickel particles on different mechanical properties of Al 7075/Cu/Ni/matrix composites. The results show that the 4 wt% Ni and 4 wt% Cu and 4 wt% Ni and 4 wt% Cu MMCs have the highest hardness & flexural strengths among all the MMCs produced. It can be concluded that these MMCs are widely used in various industrial and technical aerospace, novel and wear applications due to their high tensile strength.