Effect of graphite reinforcement on physical and mechanical properties of aluminum metal matrix composites

This work focuses on the effect of graphite particle addition on the properties of AA6082 metal matrix composites fabricated by conventional stir casting method. The percentage of reinforcement was varied from 0% to 12% in a step of 3%. The results revealed that with the addition of graphite particles, the micro- and macro-hardness decreased by 11.11% and 10.44%, respectively. The ultimate tensile strength also decreased by 5.88% with a reduction in percentage elongation from 8.7 to 6.8. The density decreased by 4.1% with an increase in porosity from 0.37% to 2.27% as the weight percentage of graphite particles increased from 0% to 12%.