Comparative study of SiC, B 4 C, and Al 2 O 3 reinforced AA2014 nanocomposites via stir-ultrasonic-squeeze casting

This study investigates the comparative performance of AA2014 aluminium metal matrix nanocomposites (AMMNCs) separately reinforced with SiC, B4C, and Al2O3 nanoparticles using a novel stir-ultrasonic-squeeze casting method. Reinforcement levels of 1.5 wt.% and 3 wt.% were used to optimise mechanical and tribological properties. The combined technique’s effective particle dispersion, minimum porosity (<2%) and matrix bonding in the composites were confirmed by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Among all reinforcements, SiC (3 wt.%) exhibited the better performance: yield strength of 285.56 MPa (159% improvement), hardness of 144 BHN (80% increase), and lowest wear rate (0.0007 mm3/Nm) (63% decrease), outperforming B4C and Al2O3. All AMMNCs showed reduced coefficients of friction, with SiC composites exhibiting the lowest values. This comparative study establishes SiC as the most effective reinforcement for high-performance AA2014 composites, confirming the suitability of the integrated method for producing robust nanocomposites for advanced engineering applications.