Shot Peening Effect on Surface Characteristics and Mechanical Properties of Aluminum Matrix Composite

In this work, the effect of shot peening (SP) and its duration on surface characteristics and mechanical properties of FG Al-SiC_P composite reinforced with constant amount (10 wt.%) of SiC particles were studied. The composite surface characteristics after SP with 0, 70 and 140 s duration were investigated by XRD and surface topography by SEM. Moreover, Surface roughness, microhardness and tensile behavior of all the specimens were also studied. Results showed that the SP treatment favors to induce nanocrystalline (NC) structure with refined grains and improved other surface properties too which are enhanced along SP duration. It was also revealed that the grain refinement after SP provoked to rise the values of hardness, tensile and yield strengths. In contrast, longer SP duration causes reduction in percentage of elongation and increased surface roughness. However, SP is industrially popular method due to its superior benefits compared to other surface treatment methods.