Microstructural Analysis and Mechanical Properties of a Hybrid Al/Fe₂O₃/Ag Nano-Composite

This work aims to define the microstructure and to study the mechanical properties of an Al matrix incorporated with various amounts of Fe₂O₃ (3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 wt.%) with a constant amount of Ag at 1 wt.%. Al/Fe₂O₃ + Ag hybrid nano-composite samples are manufactured using powder metallurgy. An aluminum matrix is considered an important alloy, owing to its properties such as being lightweight, strong and corrosion and wear resistant, which enable it to be used in many applications, such as electronics, aerospace and automotive purposes. Various examinations have been performed for the samples of this work, such as Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis to estimate the microstructure and phases of manufactured nano-composites. Mechanical testing is also carried out, such as micro-hardness testing, compressive testing and wear testing, to estimate the mechanical properties of the hybrid nano-composites. The results of FESEM and XRD demonstrate that Fe₂O₃ and Ag nanoparticles are uniformly distributed and dispersed into the Al matrix, whereas the mechanical tests show that enhancement t micro-hardness, compressive strength of 12 wt.% Fe₂O₃ + 1Ag and wear rate decrease to a minimum value of 12 wt.% of Fe₂O₃ + 1Ag.