Synthesis and Cold Forged Behavior of Al6061 Reinforced with Boron Carbide and Graphite

Many of our modern technologies require materials with unusual combinations of properties that cannot be met by the conventional metal alloys, ceramics, and polymeric materials. Material property combinations and ranges have been, and are yet being, extended by the development of composite materials. Aluminium metal matrix reinforced with Boron Carbide (B₄C) is a novel composite, which is used in many engineering applications due to high wear resistance, high strength to weight ratio, elevated temperature toughness and high stiffness. Graphite is a form of carbon and Solid lubricant which display unusual combination of properties and hence have unique and emerging application. Aluminium 6061- B4C dispersed with graphite has been established as potential engineering materials of a number of antifriction applications. The fabrication of aluminium 6061 with varying weight percentage of boron carbide and keeping constant graphite weight percentage is done by stir casting process.  Cold forging is done on the casted composite material. The mechanical properties are studied by compression and hardness test. The addition of boron carbide conversely increased the mechanical properties of the composites. Micro structural studies are done by using optical microscope