Effect of Red Mud Particles on Scratch Resistance of Aluminum Based Metal Matrix Composites

Light weight structures reflect the most predictable aspects which are correlated with commercial usage in various applications where enhancing strength with lesser weight makes them measurable. Metals like aluminum with variety of grades acts as matrix to access the minute particles exhibits huge benefits once made by most convenient techniques to term them as metal matrix conjugates. Red mud emerges as the major waste material during production of alumina from bauxite by the Bayer’s process. It comprises of oxides of iron, titanium, aluminium and silica long with some other minor constituents. Based on economics as well as environmental related issues, enormous efforts have been directed worldwide towards red mud management issues i.e. of utilization, storage and disposal. Different avenues of red mud utilization are more or less known but none of them have so far proved to be economically viable. Hardness property is improved remarkably by introducing hard intermetallic compound into the aluminium matrix. Thereinforcing materials are generally contain Silicon carbide, alumina as constituents which are costly to inculcate as a major part so that introducing this composition in aluminium matrix leads to property enhancement for the prepared metal matrix composites. Keeping this aspect in mind the present research aim is to explore the use of red mud as a reinforcing material which contains the above said composition as well as low cost option when used with aluminium. Samples are prepared by stir casting technique. Castings are cut, turned and shaped into the required size to prepare the specimens for evaluation of hardness number of samples. It is observed that the inclusion of the red mud is drastically affecting the hardness factor of the composites. The increase of the red mud composite weight percentage has decreased the hardness indicating the formability of the material.