Production of Metal Matrix Composite Using a Bottom Tapping Stir Casting Furnace

Metal matrix composites (MMC's) have attracted the attention of researchers for quite some time. In the last 15 years, many studies have been reported in this field of MMC production through various routes. The most commonly used process for producing MMC is stir casting process whereby the reinforcement material is incorporated into the molten metal by stirring. It is a relatively low cost manufacturing process that is capable of producing high quality MMC. However, the process is associated with issues such as attaining uniform distribution of particles, wettability between particles and porosity in the MMCs. Because of these challenges, there has been continuous improvement in the process as well as the design of the furnace. In this research, an innovatively designed bottom tapping furnace has been used to produce the MMCs and the produced sample is characterized.