Heat Treatment and Evaluating the Mechanical Properties of Silicon Carbide-Aluminum Alloy Composite

Reducing the weight of structures is one of the industries target especially aerospace and automotive industries, so the usage of aluminum alloys is expanded dramatically in the industry. Aluminum alloys are used in more than 70% parts of aerospace constructions, military and weapons. The aluminum alloy 7075 is one of the most widely used among engineering alloys due to their high specific strength.In this study, to evaluate the mechanical properties and microstructure of aluminum alloy 7075 containing silicon carbide, a particular heat treatment was considered. To investigate mechanical properties and microstructure and distribution of deposits, Brinell hardness method and optical microscopy were utilized. Hardness results show that aging and dissolution for 8 hours and 20 minutes respectively in nitrate salt bath is the most hardness achieved

Keywords:

Aluminum , Heat Treatment , Silicon Carbide