Investigating the Strength and Hardness of AL7075 Composite Reinforced with Natural Fibers

Stir casting is the easiest way to melt and combine reinforcement in metal matrix composites made from low-melting metals like aluminium. The stir cast process was used to make Aluminium 7075 hybrid composites by reinforcing sugarcane and bamboo leaf ash at 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8% by weight and retaining AL7075-T651 concentration. Tensile testing was performed on standard-sized samples using Universal Testing Machine UNITEK-94100. Results were tabulated and compared to pure AL7075-T651. The tensile test indicates that the reinforcing percentage enhances strength up to a point, then decreases. Rockwell hardness was used to compare hybrid composite hardness to pure AL7075-T651 alloy. The results showed that adding SLA+BLA reinforcement enhances the hardness of the manufactured AL7075-T651 composite compared to the base matrix alloy up to a certain extent, thereafter it decreases. The results were compared to pure AL7075-T651 alloy using graphical methods, showing that reinforcing improved mechanical properties.