Essay --

1.1 Background history Composite material is a multiphase materials which can be obtained through the artificial combination of two or more different materials to attain the properties that the individual components by themselves cannot attain. Composite materials can modify for many properties by appropriately choosing their components, proportions, distributions, morphologies and degrees of crystallinity, crystallographic textures, structure and the composition of the interface between components. Due to this properties the composite materials can be designed to satisfy the needs of technologies relating to the aerospace, automobile, electronics, construction, energy, biomedical and other industries. Therefore, composite materials has been used most as a commercial engineering materials [1]. There are some type of composites that can be classified according to the matrix material such as a polymer matrix composite (PMC), a metal matrix composite (MMC), and a ceramic matrix composite (CMC). Besides that, the composite also can be categorized according to the shape of the filler or the reinforcement for example a composite that has a particles as a filler is called a particulate composite and a composite with fibers is called fibrous composite [1]. Metal matrix composite (MMC) is a composite that contains continuous metallic matrix and a few percent of the material by volume represent the reinforcement [2]. The MMC offers some unique mechanical properties such as low density, high strength, and high stiffness, high wear resistance and other attractive properties. It also can offers the properties that are exceptional compared with those of any unreinforced alloys [2]. The metal matrix composites also can be classified in diffe... ...Al2O3 particles uniformly in aluminum matrix and for its ability to fabricate the material into almost any shape [3]. 1.3 Objectives 1.3.1 To fabricate alumina particle reinforced aluminum metal matrix composite by using powder metallurgy technique. 1.3.2 To investigate the effect of different weight percentage of alumina particle on physical and mechanical properties of aluminum metal matrix composite. 1.4 Scope of study The aim of this project is to investigate the effect of different reinforcement weight percentage (0wt%, 5wt%, 10wt%, 20wt% and 30wt%) of alumina particle on aluminum metal matrix composite. The composite will fabricate by using powder metallurgy technique which include mixing, compaction and sintering process. The testing involves in this project is microstructural analysis, density, porosity, hardness and coefficient thermal expansion (CTE).