Mechanical Properties of Al 6061/TiB₂ In-Situ Formed Metal Matrix Composites

Metal matrix composites were synthesized in an Al 6061 matrix reinforced by particulates of in-situ TiB₂ from a reaction process via K₂TiF₆ and KBF₄ salts in the matrix. Different weight percentage of the TiB₂ particulates such as 4 wt%, 6 wt% and 8 wt% respectively, was employed for the composite and compared with as cast base Al 6061 matrix. A significant effect on the refinement of the grains was observed when the content of TiB₂ particulates was increased from 4 to 8 wt%. The tensile strength and Rockwell hardness of the different weight percentage of in situ formed TiB₂ composites was conducted as per the ASTM standard E08-16 and ASTM standard E18-15 respectively. The synthesized composite with 4 wt% to 8 wt% TiB₂ was higher than that of the corresponding Al 6061 alloy. It is concluded that the mechanical properties were increased with increase in wt% of TiB₂ particles additions. The Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the size and uniformity of TiB₂ formations whereas the Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and X-ray diffractometer (XRD) were used to confirm the presence of TiB₂ particles.