Influence of Stainless Steel Short Fibres as Reinforcements in Enhancing the Performance of Aluminium 7075 Alloy Matrix Composites

Aluminium 7075 alloys and their metal matrix composites have been abundantly used in many engineering applications. In the current scenario, aluminium metal matrix composites reinforced with stainless steel short fibre, i.e. stainless steel whisker will be a potential replacement for ceramic particles reinforced aluminium metal matrix composites. The metal matrix composites are developed using stir casting technique with the proper weight percentage of stainless steel whisker as reinforcement to achieve better mechanical strength and microstructural properties. The distribution of SS whiskers and their interaction with the matrix were observed using microstructural investigation employing optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The utilization of X-ray diffraction analysis reveals the presence of intermetallic linkages between aluminium and iron as a result of the incorporation of stainless steel whisker reinforcement. The findings of the study demonstrate that the addition of 5% SS whiskers to the composites result in enhanced characteristics, such as heightened hardness and tensile strength. The results of this study enhance our comprehension of the mechanical properties with 5% whisker exhibiting nearly three times higher tensile strength than aluminium 7075 alloy. These findings underscore the possibility of enhancing material performance in many engineering applications.