Influence of peening intensity on surface layer properties, residual stress and hardness performance of Al7075/10%/SiCp metal matrix composite

The surface modification is one of the most prominent phenomenon to change properties of alloys and composites as desired for typical use. Among mechanical approaches, shot peening (SP) has novelty for enhancement of mechanical properties. This has eco-friendliness, relatively low cost and minimum geometrical restrictions especially in case of metal matrix composites. This study appraises the effect of shot peening on mechanical properties of Al7075/10%/SiCp Metal Matrix Composite (MMC). This composite was successfully synthesized via stir casting route and shot peened with different peening intensities along with other parameters remains same and studied in terms of morphological and structural features, grain size, residual stresses and microhardness. The results indicated that the depth of the projectile indentations increased and the surface roughness became larger with increasing SP intensity. The compressive residual stress field was introduced after shot peening. The observation by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the average domain size decreased, moreover the microhardness and depth of the strengthened layer increased with the increased peening intensity. This investigation can prove that the effects of SP on the Al7075/10%/SiCp metal matrix composite were distinct