Effect of accumulative roll bonding process on microstructure and hardness of A356/TiC cast composite

In this study, the effect of accumulative roll bonding (ARB) process on microstructure and hardness of cast A356/titanium carbide composite produced by semi-solid processing evaluated. ARB process up to 4 cycles on the composite containing 10 vol.% titanium carbide with an average particle size less than 10 μm performed at ambient temperature. Microstructural examination by optical microscope and harness tests including macrohardness and microhardness performed. The results showed that by increasing the number of process cycles, the distribution of the Si and TiC in the aluminum matrix homogenized, the particles became finer and more spheroidal. On the other hand, particle free zones removed and the quality of the bond between the particles and the matrix improved. In addition, the porosity in the casting structure significantly decreased. It was found that the hardness in the first two cycles greatly increased, and then the number of cycles had less effect on the hardness value. In general, the microstructure of the composite after 4 cycles of ARB process considerably refined so that the increased hardness of the composite was 170% compared to the cast. The results showed that by increasing the number of ARB cycles, the amount of fluctuation in the thickness of the composite decreased.