Study of Pore Closure Mechanism of Aluminium Composite Processed through Powder Metallurgy Route

Hot swaging experiments were carried out on as-sintered Al composite preforms in order to evaluate its pore closure characteristics. The effect of tungsten carbide and iron carbide in plain aluminium has been investigated under triaxial stress state condition. Cylindrical preforms with 0.5 aspect ratio and 88% fractional theoretical density have been produced for pure Al, Al-2WC and Al-2WC-4Fe3C through classical powder metallurgy route. Then, the as-sintered preforms are hot swaged to various height strains to further enclose the residual porosities; thereby to enhance density and mechanical properties. It is observed that induced strain substantially helped to close the porosities; however this largely depends on the reinforcing carbide particles in the Al-matrix