The melting and degassing equipment and the process used in the production of particulate aluminum matrix composites is proposed. Also presented is the successful preparation of A380/80 μm SiC particulate aluminum alloy composites, where SiC particulate was evenly dispersed throughout an aluminum alloy matrix and a die cast chain wheel had very little porosity. In addition, recycling equipment for particulate aluminum matrix composites was designed. The old material and new material of these composites are mixed in ratios of 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1 by weight. After the first, second, and third recyclings, it was found that the amount of porosity and inclusion is much less for recycled composites. In addition, from composition analysis, it was found that the Si content increases with an increase in the amount of old materials and recycling times. From tensile strength tests, it was found that tensile strength and elongation are the same for new materials and composites with old material to new material weight ratios of 1:1 and 2:1 for the first to the third recyclings. However, tensile strength and elongation decrease for composites with an old material to new material weight ratio of 3:1 for the first to the third recyclings, in particular for material of the third recycling. If Si was added before the recycling process, though the formation of Al3C4 and Si crystal could be constrained, it would have no significant effect on the increase of elongation.
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Journal of materials engineering and performance 7(2), p.239-246