Effect of Heat treatment on Fatigue Behavior of B4C and Copper Coated short Basalt fiber
Reinforced Al 2014 Based Hybrid Composite
Boron carbide (B4C) particulate and Copper coated Basalt fiber reinforced Al2014 composites were fabricated by stir casting technique. Boron carbide particles and short copper coated basalt fiber were varied from 2 wt. % to 8 wt. % in steps of 2 %. To improve the interfacial bonding between basalt fiber and matrix Al2014 alloy, the fibers are coated with copper by electroless deposition method. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) clearly shows the uniform coating of copper on the surface of fiber and also observed that, increased wt % of reinforcement in ascast composites results in momentous progress in fatigue strength. The addition of boron carbide shows better fatigue strength compared to the addition of copper coated basalt fiber in Al2014. The Heat treated hybrid composites for all weight % of reinforcement’s shows 1.2 to 2 % better fatigue life as compared to ascast composites. This may be due to the refinement of grains and development of strong intermolecular bonding between the particles of composites. The fracture analysis done by SEM, clearly revealed that the crack initiated from the region of voids or porosity in the matrix and not in the region of boron carbide and copper coated basalt fiber interface.