Processing and Mechanical Properties of Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> and Red Mud Particle Reinforced AA6061 Hybrid Composites

Abstract

Aluminum 6061 alloy metal matrix composites (MMCs) reinforced with four different weight fractions of (Al2O3 + red mud) particles up to 10 wt% were fabricated by a vortex method. The effects of reinforcement content on the mechanical properties of the composites such as hardness and tensile strength were investigated. The density measurements showed that the samples contained little porosity, and the amount of porosity in the composites increased with increasing weight fraction of particles. Scanning electron microscopic observations of the microstructures revealed that the dispersion of the particles was uniform with small clusters at some places and porosity. The results showed that the hardness and the tensile strength of the composites increased with increasing weight fraction of particles.