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Articles • Matéria (Rio J.) 31 • 2026 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1517-7076-RMAT-2025-0985 linkcopy

Open-access Characterization studies and mechanical properties on solution treated and aged AA8079 composites with influences of TiB2 particles

AuthorshipSCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

ABSTRACT

Structural applications need light weight with high strength materials to exhibit high performance. In this research, AL8079 is reinforced with titanium di boride (TiB2) in 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 wt.% by stir casting. The manufactured AL8079 based composites are solution treated and aged for enhancing the mechanical properties of composites. Solution treated and aged and non-treated AL8079 composites are subjected to Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis and Scanning Electron Microscope to confirm the presence of elements and study the microstructure of solution treated and aged AL8079 composites. Besides, non-treated and solution treated and aged AL8079 based composites are subjected to determine micro hardness, compression and impact. The inclusion of TiB2 enhances microhardness, compressive strength and impact strength up to 15wt.% and decreases by inclusion of 20wt.% in both non-treating and solution treated and aged conditions. TiB2 significantly enhances the tensile strength of AL8079, peaking at 15wt.% with 42.6% increase, though ductility drops by 50.7% due to embrittlement. At 20wt.% suggests agglomeration effects, and heat treatment further improves overall mechanical performance. The higher microhardness 136HV, compressive strength 299 MPa and impact strength 3.52J are obtained in solution treated and aged AL8079/15wt.%TiB2 composite which are higher than other proportions.

Keywords:
AL8079; TiB2; Microstructure; Micro hardness; Compressive strength

1. INTRODUCTION

Due to the improved mechanical, physical, and chemical qualities, aluminium and its alloys have drawn significant interest from the aerospace, military, and automotive industries [1]. The improvement of each material to its maximum classes is the ideal research requirement since materials are constantly evolving owing to the necessity of human civilization [2]. To manufacture a product at the lowest possible cost, which is a fundamental need of the consumer, the search for new and innovative materials is always a crucial topic. To meet safety and operating standards, new materials are continuously created, and material qualities are enhanced in keeping with current technological advancements. From the beginning to the most advanced levels, composites have continuously progressed. Because of their numerous applications, metal matrix composites (MMCs) are consumed and needed more in every country [3]. High specific strength, tensile strength, stiffness, strength-to-weight ratio, fatigue resistance, high thermal and electrical conductivity, wear resistance, and low density are just a few of the exceptional qualities that metal matrix composites (MMCs) [4]. Technical applications, temperature is a key factor in affecting the functionality and adaptability of materials. Due to their superior high temperature qualities when compared to their worked metals and alloys, metal matrix composites (MMCs) have found use in a variety of industries, including aerospace, automotive, and biomedical. These qualities include improved abrasion and wear resistance, higher thermal insulation, and improved creep and fatigue resistance [5, 6]. MMCs have been extensively utilized in a variety of applications, including the structural, automotive, aerospace, marine, and mining industries. Modern MMCs are made from a few reinforcement materials, however Titanium di boride is the substance that works best for creating AMCs. According to research, monolithic aluminium alloy possesses very desirable qualities that are necessary to produce electrical and electronic, sports and leisure equipment, automotive, aerospace, and other components and vehicles. Its usage in several other crucial industrial utilities has been complicated by its poor strength and low-wear resistance. Nevertheless, these obstacles have been eliminated through the development of metal composites. Aluminium matrix composites (AMCs), which have been a significant source of global revenue and employment, were made possible by the addition of one or more reinforcements to Al. AMCs have enhanced the global consumption of Al alloy [7]. Titanium di boride has better mechanical and wear resistance properties than other reinforcements and hence it is suitable for fabricating composites to various applications [8, 9]. Composite materials can be adapted to meet certain mechanical and physical needs when strengthened with qualities like high hardness, high tensile strength, and better durability [10]. Because of its exceptional combination of physical and chemical properties, including low density and friction coefficient, high melting point and hardness, good thermal and electrical conductivities, good lightness, and high temperature structural components, titanium diboride (TiB2) has been regarded as one of the most significant metal borides for both materials’ science and industrial applications [11,12,13]. The stir casting method is very simple and economic method for manufacturing composites and also it is useful for manufacturing complex products while comparing with other manufacturing process [14, 15].In comparison to the as-cast condition, 65 °C (8 hrs), and 500 °C, the hardness of A356 alloy with modifying T6 solutionizing heat treatment for 535 °C (6 hrs) condition is improved and achieves 91.79 Hv [16]. The addition of titanium di boride improves the wear resistance of AA7075 by stir casting method [17]. The mechanical properties of the A7075 based hybrid composites are improved by adding the titanium di boride [18]. Hardness and UTS improvements of hybrid composites reached a maximum of 74% and 68.85%, respectively. However, the presence of graphite and titanium di boride causes ductility to decrease to its lowest value of 4.8% [19]. There is no attempt that has been made previously for developing solutions treated and aged AA8079/ TiB2 composites. The optimal age-hardening conditions, including a high heating temperature of 400 °C, a prolonged heating time of 270 minutes, and furnace cooling, resulted in the best micro hardness and wear resistance. A higher heating temperature increased the GRG value, which improved both microhardness and wear resistance. Similarly, lengthening the heating duration increased GRG levels, contributing to improved mechanical characteristics [20]. AA8079 matrix composites reinforced with varying weight percentages of B4C were successfully produced under various powder metallurgy (PM) process conditions. Increasing the B4C content from 5 to 15 wt.% and optimizing PM parameters (compaction pressure, sintering temperature, and time) resulted in significant improvements in composite density, hardness, and compressive strength. An increase in sintering temperature from 375 ºC to 575 ºC enhances hardness by improving densification and reducing porosity within the composite structure [21]. AA8079, an aluminium alloy, was strengthened with varied percentages (3%, 6%, and 9%) of titanium nitride and zirconium oxide via stir casting. The chosen process parameters were reinforcement percentage, stirring duration (20, 25, and 30 minutes), and stirring speed (500, 550, and 600 rpm). The sixth experimental run yielded the highest ultimate tensile strength of 205.52 MPa with 6% reinforcement, 30 minutes of stirring time, and a stirring speed of 500 rpm. In comparison, the lowest measured tensile strength was 185.67 MPa. The corresponding signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios were 46.2571 (highest) and 45.3748 (minimum), demonstrating the importance of ideal parameter combinations for mechanical performance [22]. The tensile strength and hardness of the AlSi7Mg alloy are not significantly affected by modifications made prior to heat treatment. However, it stimulates the disintegration of silicon precipitates and enhances their spheroidization during the T6 heat treatment, which significantly improves the alloy’s ductility and impact resistance. To achieve a tensile strength (Rm) of around 320 MPa and a hardness of up to 100 HBW/10/100/30, solution heat treatment at 540–550 °C for 30 to 90 minutes is required, followed by aging at 165 °C for 5 to 8 hours. This can be decreased to 2–3 hours. To improve elongation (A5), it’s important to age at temperatures above 300 °C [23].

Aluminium 8079 is employed for its superior formability, corrosion resistance, and barrier characteristics, making it suitable for structural and lightweight applications. However, its mechanical strength in pure form is very poor, necessitating its augmentation through heat treatment and reinforcement with ceramic particles to produce composites with better properties. This study intends to bridge the information gap by analysing the mechanical performance of heat-treated AA8079-based hybrid composites, which has been underexplored in previous research [24, 25]. The description of AA8079 application was updated to indicate its traditional usage in the packaging, pharmaceutical foils and flexible containers usage [26]. Moreover, the rationale as to why AA8079 was chosen in the current research has been explained based on investigating property enhancement by means of reinforcement [27, 28]. Even though AA8079 is mainly identified as a packaging and foil grade aluminium alloy, addition of TiB2 particles can contribute a lot to the mechanical and tribological properties of alloy thus making it a potential application in automotive industry [29, 30]. The addition of TiB2 improves tensile strength, yield strength, hardness, wear resistance, and thermal stability through mechanisms such as load transfer, grain refinement, and dislocation strengthening. With tensile strength values increasing to approximately 200–230 MPa in reinforced conditions [31,32,33,34,35]. While it may not be suitable for primary load bearing or crash-critical structural components, the improved strength-to-weight ratio and enhanced surface durability make AA8079/TiB2 composites suitable for lightweight, non-primary structural and wear-resistant automotive components such as brackets, housings, covers, heat shields, and bearing carriers [34,35,36,37,38,39].

This study aims to create and analyze hybrid metal matrix composites made from Aluminium Alloy 8079 (AA8079) and Titanium Diboride (TiB2) utilizing the stir casting method. This study examines how TiB2 reinforcement and solution treated and aged affect the microstructure and mechanical properties of composites, including microhardness, compressive strength, and impact strength. The objective is to determine the appropriate reinforcing level that improves the mechanical performance and structural integrity of AA8079 composites for future lightweight structural applications in growing industrial sectors.

2. MATERIALS AND METHODS

2.1. Materials

Aluminium alloy 8079 has excellent ductility but lacks other mechanical properties, corrosion properties, tribological properties and machining properties. Hence, AL8079 is in need for enhancement of mechanical, corrosion, tribological and machining properties to employ as suitable material for various applications. From the literature survey, hard nature reinforcement TiB2, is better reinforcement for fulfilling the required properties of AL8079. In this investigation, AL8079 will be selected as matrix material, and TiB2 are chosen reinforcement materials for this investigation. The aluminium alloy 8079 possesses high ductility, moderate tribological, mechanical and corrosion properties [40]. The modern emerging marine, aircraft and automobile applications need multipurpose materials for enhancing the performance of the components [41].

Hence, aluminium alloy 8079 was taken as matrix material for this investigation. AL8079 was acquired from Champion advanced materials, Mumbai, India. The AL8079 was purchased in the cylindrical round rod form. Figure 1 shows the graphical illustration. The chemical analysis of the AA8079 alloy was performed using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, which provides accurate determination of elemental composition. As per ASTM E572, analysis was conducted. An Olympus Vanta XRF Analyzer was utilized. The measured composition of AA8079 is as follows: Al – balance, Cu – 0.5 wt%, Ti – 0.2 wt%, Zn – 0.1 wt%, Mg – 0.2 wt%, Fe – 1.4 wt%, Si – 0.3 wt%, and other elements – 0.15 wt%. The reinforcements are used for enhancing the properties of matrix material and it can be classified as hard and soft reinforcements. The hard reinforcements are used for increasing the tensile strength, impact strength, compressive strength, wear resistance and corrosion resistance of the matrix material. The TiB2 is one of the hardest reinforcements among other kinds of reinforcements. It has higher toughness, higher resistance to bending, higher melting point, high corrosion and wear resistance at higher temperatures. Table 1 shows the reinforcement and matrix composition details for fabricating the composites. Table 2 and 3 shows the chemical composition of TiB2 particles and other properties of base matrix and reinforcement, respectively. Figure 2 shows the SEM image of TiB2.

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Figure 1
Graphical representation of present research.
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Table 1
Weight distribution of AL8079 and TiB2 reinforcement.
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Table 2
Composition of TiB2.
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Table 3
Properties of matrix and reinforcements.
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Figure 2
TiB2 SEM image.

2.2. Fabrication of composite

The AL8079 based mixture is fabricated by utilizing the stir casting setup. The better homogenous spread of reinforcements in matrix substantial is obtained in stir casting method. The stir casting fabrication method has pre heating of reinforcements, melting of matrix material, feeding of reinforcements into melted matrix material and stirring of reinforcements with matrix material steps. The electronic weighing machine was employed to weigh the matrix and reinforced materials with an accurate accuracy 0.001g. The acquired AL8079 cylindrical rod will be sized into small fragments to put into the crucible furnace. The hard reinforcement TiB2 was pre heated on 250 °C temperature for the duration of 30 minutes by using pre heater setup. The matrix AL8079will undergoes a heating process to the melting temperature of 750 °C in the graphite crucible furnace of the stir casting setup [42, 43]. The pre heated hard and soft reinforcements were fed into the crucible furnace. The one weight percentage of magnesium was further added to enhance the wettability amongst the AL8079 matrix and reinforcements. The natal degassing tablets were used to prevent the formation of oxides during stir casting. The reinforcements were stirred by the stirrer at the speed of 600 rpm for the duration of 25 minutes. The mixed AL8079 matrix with reinforcements was poured into the mold for casting the samples. The same procedure was followed to fabricate the AL8079/ TiB2 (0, 5, 10 ,15 and 20) based composites. The fabricated AL8079 MMCs specimen composite specimen size is 30 mm diameter with length of 150 mm for cylindrical shape and 150 mm x 100 mm x 10 mm for rectangular shape. The wire cut EDM was used to cut the casted samples into required ASTM standard size for conducting various tests. The wire cut EDM was employed to cut the casted samples for avoiding dislocation of articles while cutting the casted samples. Hence the properties of the composites were not changed after the cutting process. The wire cut EDM was used the brass wire to cut the fabricated specimen. The length and diameter of the manufactured composites were trimmed to the needed dimension without changing its bonding structure there by properties was not changed. The AL8079 MMCs were heated for 180 minutes with 450 °C and they were oil quenched followed by ageing in living-room temperature for 25 days. The shea nut oil was used for oil quenching [44,45,46]. The shea nut oil is better than water. The AA8079 alloy composites were subjected to solution treating and ageing after the process of fabrication to improve the mechanical performance of the alloy composites. To solution treat the specimens, the solution treatment was conducted at 450 °C and 180 min and quenching immediately in shea nut oil at room temperature to preserve a supersaturated solid solution whilst eliminating the quench severity in comparison with quenching in water. The shea nut oil used has pH value of 4.22, specific gravity of 1.5, viscosity of 2.4 cP, specific heat capacity of 3.4 kJ/kg /oC and density of 923 kg/m3 that are associated with its stable and uniform cooling properties. The composites were then artificially aged in a temperature-controlled furnace at 210 °C in 7 h and cooled down to room temperature in normal air.

2.3. Testing on composites

Specimens for XRF (ASTM E572), XRD (ASTM E915) and SEM were prepared with dimensions of 10 mm × 10 mm × 5 mm as per the standards. The surfaces were thoroughly cleaned to remove impurities before analysis. Specimens were polished using 600, 800, 1000, and 1200 grit sheets to achieve a surface roughness of 1 µm. Specimens were cleaned with alumina pate and etched with kellers reagent. The etching of the polished surface was done using Keller reagent composed of 0.5 mL of hydrofluoric acid, 3 mL of concentrated hydrochloric acid, 5 mL of concentrated nitric acid, and 100 mL of distilled water before microstructural examination. The etched specimens were dried after thoroughly rinsing with ethanol and distilled water. Olympus Vanta XRF Analyzer was employed to determine the elemental composition of the AL8079 matrix and the TiB2 reinforcement. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) (HITACHI MS-3000) was used to examine the dispersion, bonding, and presence of TiB2 particles in the AL8079 matrix. During SEM analysis, the following parameters like accelerating voltage (10 kV), working distance (9–10 mm), magnification (100X), detector type (SE2), spot size (30–50%), signal mode (secondary electron) and vacuum mode (High Vacuum) are setting the level on SEM. Microhardness test were done on 10 mm × 10 mm × 5 mm size, as per ASTM E384. The specimens were prepared by polishing and cleaning. Tensile testing was performed on a FILE-50 kN Universal Testing Machine (UTM) (Aloe Technologies India Private Limited, Tamil Nadu, India) according to the ASTM E8. Dog-bone-shaped specimens of gauge length 25 mm, width 6 mm and thickness 3 mm were machined using wire-cut EDM. Tensile testing was conducted in accordance with ASTM E8. The specimens were tested under displacement-controlled loading and the crosshead speed was set to correspond to a nominal strain rate of 0.015 mm/mm/min within the elastic region for accurate yield property determination. A Vickers hardness tester (Model V-5, R12970 HV, eyepiece 10X) was operated with a load of 0.3kg in 10 seconds. There were three trials conducted at various places and the average hardness was determined. Cylindrical specimens with 10 mm diameter × 20 mm height were prepared according to ASTM E09, using wire-cut EDM. Compression tests were conducted on a 200 kN Universal Testing Machine (FMI-F100). The minimum load applied was 5 N/mm2, and displacement resolution was 0.01 mm. The compressive strength was measured to evaluate the load-bearing capacity of the composites. Charpy impact specimens were prepared with dimensions as per ASTM E23 of length 55 mm × width 10 mm × thickness 10 mm, including a V-notch of 2 mm depth at 45°, using wire-cut EDM. The XJJU-50 impact testing machine was used to determine the impact strength of the AL8079/TiB2 composites

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

3.1. Metallurgical examination

The solution treated and aged AL8079/xwt.% TiB2 (0,5,10,15 and 20) composites exhibit high micro hardness than other MMCs. The solution treated and aged AL8079/ TiB2 composites are exposed to metallurgical scrutiny to examine the presence of weight percentage of various elements and microstructure. The XRD test is used for determining the weight percentage of elements presented in solution treated and aged AL8079 based composites. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the AA8079–TiB2 composite was performed using a Bruker D8 Advance diffractometer with Cu Kα radiation (λ = 1.5406 Å), operating at 40 kV and 40 mA. The 2θ scanning range was 5°–90° with a step size of 0.02° and a scanning rate of 2°/min. The specimen size was 10 mm × 10 mm × 5 mm. The microstructure of the solution treated and aged AL8079 based composites are examined by using SEM test. The presence of weight of percentage of elements of matrix and reinforcements are examined by using the XRD test. The test results of XRD test are displayed in Table 4. The XRD analysis image is displayed in Figure 3. Figure 4(a) to 4(e) shows the SEM images of Al 8079 and its processed TiB2 composites.

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Table 4
XRD analysis of AA8079 and its TiB2 Samples
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Figure 3
XRD analysis on base alloy and its weighted reinforcement.
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Figure 4
SEM images of Al8079 with different composites and particle analyzer.

Scanning electron microscopy of the AL8079/15 wt.% TiB2 metal matrix composite revealed a uniform distribution of TiB2 reinforcement within the AL8079 matrix, attributed to the successful implementation of stir casting. This process effectively dispersed TiB2 particles throughout the matrix, preventing particle clustering, due to vigorous agitation of the molten aluminium alloy [47, 48]. The favorable wettability between TiB2 and the aluminium matrix, combined with optimized process parameters such as stirring intensity, temperature regulation, and controlled solidification rates, contributed to consistent particle distribution, resulting in a composite material exhibiting improved and uniform mechanical properties. Scanning electron microscopy of the AL8079/20 wt.% TiB2 metal matrix composite revealed localized accumulation of TiB2 particles within the AL8079 matrix, likely due to challenges associated with stir casting at higher reinforcement concentrations [49]. Increased TiB2 content raises the molten composite’s viscosity, hindering uniform particle dispersion. Insufficient stirring energy or suboptimal process parameters can further exacerbate this issue, leading to clustering or settling of the denser TiB2 particles. Additionally, inadequate wetting between the matrix and reinforcement at higher loadings may contribute to agglomeration. These factors collectively result in uneven distribution of TiB2 within the matrix, potentially impacting the overall homogeneity and mechanical properties of the composite [50].

Figure 4(f) shows the particle analyzer image of the optimal composite SEM image which is made up of 15 wt.% of TiB2. From the image, it is understood that the average particle size it indicated 23.51 micrometer, and their standard deviation mentioned 11.60 micro metre. Therefore, this particle size combination into the base matrix alloy of aluminium 8079 is well interacted with uniform dispersion during the casting process [51]. The active stress migration from softer 8079 aluminium alloy into ceramic particles of TiB2. At the same time, these reduced sizes of particles restrict introducing any voids in the composites due to uniformed distribution during the casting with maintained process parameters [52]. This particle tends to act as nucleation site during the solidification process to attain the fine grain size in the aluminium matrix composites. This dispersed TiB2 to reduce the growth of grains within the boundary region [53, 54]. Also serves the fences to movement of dislocation and attaining capability of stress hardening. The maintained process parameters in the casting process are the major significant reason to ensure the better dispersion of ceramic particles into the 8079-aluminium alloy [55].

3.2. Microhardness testing

The comparison of micro hardness of the non-solution treated and aged and solution treated and aged AL8079/wt.%TiB2 (0, 5, 15 and 20) composites are determined and it is shown in Table 5 and Figure 5. The inclusion of titanium di boride improves the micro hardness value of each constant 5wt.% of TiB2 up to the weight percentage of 15 and decreases the hardness value while the inclusion of 20wt.% TiB2. The uniform distribution of titanium di boride improves the hardness in the addition of 15wt.% of titanium di boride into the AL8079 matrix material. The uniform distribution of titanium di boride enhances the bonding strength and hence load bearing capability is increased [56]. The high accumulation of the titanium di boride is attained in the addition of 20wt.% TiB2 and hence bonding strength is decreased, and it causes to decrease load bearing capability [57]. The micro hardness of solution treated and aged AL8079 based composites is higher than non-heat-treated composites.

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Table 5
Comparison of micro hardness of AL8079 based MMCs.
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Figure 5
Microhardness on Al 8079 and its TiB2 composites (as casted and solution-treated and artificially aged ).

The AL8079/15 wt.% TiB2 metal matrix composite exhibits superior microhardness compared to composites containing 5 wt.%, 10 wt.%, and 20 wt.% TiB2. This improvement can be attributed to several factors. At a 15 wt.% TiB2 concentration, an optimal load transfer mechanism is established between the matrix and reinforcement, facilitating efficient stress distribution and improved load-bearing capacity. Furthermore, this reinforcement level strikes a balance between the strengthening effect of the hard TiB2 particles and the potential for detrimental effects such as particle clustering or excessive matrix weakening [55]. Higher reinforcement levels, like 20 wt.%, may lead to increased particle clustering and reduced matrix continuity, hindering effective load transfer and potentially degrading the overall microhardness [58,59,60]. Conversely, lower concentrations, such as 5 wt.% and 10 wt.%, may not provide sufficient reinforcement to significantly enhance the microhardness of the base alloy.

3.3. Compressive testing

The compression testing is done on the untreated and solution treated and aged AA8079 based composites to determine the compressive strength. The comparison of compressive strength of untreated and solution treated and aged AA8079 based composites are displayed in Table 6. and Figure 6. The addition of titanium di boride enhances the compressive strength up to 15 wt.% and decreases by 20 wt.% due to accumulation of titanium di boride in the matrix AA8079 material. The higher compressive strength is attained in solution treated and aged AA8079/15wt.% TiB2 composites. The compressive strength of solution treated and aged AA8079 based composites is higher than its untreated AA8079 based composites. The bonding strength of TiB2 with AA8079 matrix material is enhanced due to the uniform distribution titanium di boride and it is attained while adding 15 wt.% of TiB2 [61]. The bonding strength decreases while adding 20 wt.% TiB2 and it causes to accumulation of titanium di boride into AA8079 matrix material.

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Table 6
Comparison of compressive strength of AL8079 based MMCs.
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Figure 6
Compressive strength on Al 8079 and its TiB2 composites (as casted and solution-treated and artificially aged).

The incorporation of titanium diboride (TiB2) improves the composite’s compressive strength significantly up to 15 wt.%, primarily due to TiB2 acting as a hard reinforcement that facilitates effective load transfer and enhances stress distribution. At this concentration, the dispersion of TiB2 particles is optimal, reducing the likelihood of defects like clustering and maintaining matrix continuity. However, when the reinforcement content reaches 20 wt.%, excessive TiB2 leads to particle agglomeration, compromises matrix integrity, and creates stress concentration sites, which impede load transfer and result in a decline in compressive strength [62].

3.4. Impact testing

The impact testing is done on the untreated and solution treated and aged AL8079 based composites to determine the impact strength. The comparison of impact strength of untreated and solution treated and aged AL8079 based composites are displayed in Table 7 and Figure 7. The higher impact strength is attained in the solution treated and aged AL8079/15wt.% TiB2 composite. The impact strength of untreated AL8079 based composite is lower than its heat-treated composites. The impact strength is enhanced up to 15 wt.% of titanium di boride addition and decreases by 20wt.% of addition due to over accumulation [63, 64].

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Table 7
Comparison of impact strength of AL8079 based MMCs.
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Figure 7
Impact strength on Al 8079 and its TiB2 composites (as casted and solution-treated and artificially aged).

The impact strength of the composite increases up to 15 wt.% titanium diboride (TiB2) addition due to the uniform dispersion of hard TiB2 particles, enhancing energy absorption during impact and improving overall toughness. At this concentration, optimal reinforcement distribution reduces stress concentration and maintains good matrix-reinforcement bonding. However, exceeding 15 wt.% TiB2 leads to particle agglomeration and defects like voids or weak interfaces, acting as stress concentrators and compromising the composite’s ability to effectively dissipate impact energy, resulting in a decline in impact strength [65].

3.5. Tensile studies

Tensile test was conducted on AL8079, and their composites and the obtained results are shown in Table 8. The comparison of obtained tensile strength is displayed in Figure 8(a) and it reveals that inclusion of wt.% of TiB2 enhances tensile strength upto 15 wt.% addition and decreases by 20 wt.% addition. Tensile tests of AL8079-based composites reinforced with variable TiB2 content show a progressive gain in tensile strength and a commensurate decrease in ductility with increasing reinforcement, up to 15 wt.%. The base alloy AL8079 has the lowest strength (150 MPa as-cast, 162 MPa heat-treated), but the maximum elongation (14.2%) due to its ductile aluminium matrix [66]. TiB2 presence increases tensile strength, reaching a maximum of 231 MPa at 15 wt.%. This is attributed to effective load transfer, grain refinement, and dislocation blockage by hard ceramic particles. However, ductility decreases (to 7.0%) because these reinforcements introduce more surfaces that function as crack initiation sites, restricting plastic deformation. At 20 wt.% TiB2, a minor loss in strength (212 MPa) is detected, perhaps caused by particle agglomeration resulting to localized stress concentration and premature failure. However, ductility significantly improves to 8.1%, possibly due to partial stress redistribution around clusters [67]. Figure 8(b) shows the stress strain curve for all the composite samples. Overall, the heat treatment boosts strength in all compositions by increasing precipitation hardening and refining microstructure. However, the results clearly highlight the typical strength-ductility trade-off inherent in ceramic-reinforced metal matrix composites. Adding TiB2 particles to the AL8079 alloy raises its tensile strength continuously, with a peak enhancement of 42.6% at 15 wt.% reinforcement. However, at 20 wt.% TiB2, a minor decline is detected, although the strength remains higher by around 30.9% relative to the unreinforced alloy, possibly due to particle agglomeration influencing load transfer efficiency. Ductility decreases with increasing TiB2 content, reaching a maximum loss of 50.7% at 15 wt.%, indicating embrittlement due to hard ceramic particles. A minor gain in ductility at 20 wt.% can be attributed to lower stress concentration effects from particle clustering, which partially mitigates the steep loss in elongation [68]. The incorporation of TiB2 particles significantly enhances the tensile strength of AA8079 due to effective load transfer and grain refinement mechanisms, while ductility decreases with increasing reinforcement content. The stress–strain curves indicate that the addition of TiB2 significantly enhances the tensile strength of AA8079 while reducing its ductility. The continuous decrease in elongation with increasing TiB2 content indicates reduced ductility due to the presence of hard ceramic particles that restrict plastic deformation and act as crack initiation sites. When compared to other fabricated composites, and samples made with 15wt.% TiB2 exhibits the higher tensile strength [69].

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Table 8
Comparison of tensile strength of AL8079 based MMCs.
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Figure 8
Tensile strength on Al 8079 and its TiB2 composites (as casted and solution-treated and artificially aged) and stress strain curve for all the fabricated composites samples and base matrix.

3.4. Comparison studies on mechanical properties

The Al8079 composite reinforced with 15 wt.% TiB2 and solution treated and aged has improved mechanical properties compared to other aluminium alloys and it’s presented in Table 9. It has the highest micro hardness value (136 HV), surpassing even the high-strength AA2024 (134 HV), thanks to the strong TiB2 ceramic particles that enhance resistance to localized deformation [70]. While its tensile strength (232 MPa) is lower than AA5083 (420 MPa), it is nevertheless much higher than AA6061 (128 MPa) and AA6063 (198 MPa), demonstrating better load-bearing capacity due to successful reinforcing and heat treatment. Its compressive strength (299 MPa) exceeds AA2024 and is near to AA6063, indicating that the material is suitable for compressive loading applications. Although its impact strength (3.52) is modest—slightly lower than AA5083 and lower than AA6063—this decrease is predicted given the brittle nature of ceramic reinforcements. The Al8079 / 15 wt.% TiB2 (HT) composite is a well-balanced material with high hardness and strength. It is appropriate for structural and wear-resistant applications with low impact loading [71].

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Table 9
Comparison results on mechanical properties.

3.5. Fractography studies

Figure 9(a) shows that the dimple sizes are uneven and large size voids are the reason to reduce the tensile strength. Due to less weight percentage of TiB2, in some regions there are absences of particles to fracture fast during the tensile test. Figure 9(b) and 9(c) shows the SEM image of fracture surfaces which are made with 10 and 15 wt.% of TiB2. Those figures clearly indicate that the dynamically recrystallized grains are formed with even dispersion of TiB2 particles. Figure 9(d) and (e) shows the SEM image of fractured surfaces with made up of 15 and 20 wt.% TiB2 [43].

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Figure 9
Fractography SEM images of tensile samples.

Due to sufficient weight percentage of strengthening particles improves strength but in the interface of the composites of the nearby region accommodates the agglomeration and during the failure of fracture brittle fracture mode is generating on the composites. The effect of composite material strength is influenced by the weight and sizes of the TiB2 strengthening particles. Similarly, the uniform dispersion of TiB2 into the aluminium matrix is additional significant to reducing the size of the coarse grain structure results in nearby elements to enhance the existing pores, which diminishes the composite strength [57,58,59]. Therefore, the tensile strength increases with lesser size TiB2 particles presented in the aluminium matrix composites between the adjacent particles. Due to the fine sized TiB2 particles, the interface bonding is improving the dislocation density and results in enhancing the tensile strength. This study is subjected to improve the strengthening mechanism to enhance the yield strength of the composites with strengthening mechanism approach of continuum and micromechanical with integrated of TiB2 particles [48]. Therefore, the continuum approach is significantly utilized to create the strong bonding between the adjacent of strengthening particles during the load transfer in tensile fracture examination. Even in lower applied loads on the composites and the cracks started to near the agglomerated particles accommodated without even dispersion and spread towards the grain boundaries. So, this processing technique additionally supports the composites by the dispersion of TiB2 particles and failure does not take places in the interface’s areas with less possibilities. The fracture studies examined continuous enhancement in composites with maximum yield strength is possible for Orowan strengthening mechanism and interaction of dislocation is attained between the reinforcements [62]. To deform the material is required to observe the maximum stress subsequently succeeding in the movement of dislocation by hindered within the grain boundaries nearby region associated with accumulated dislocation. Therefore, the refined matrix composites avoid dislocation movement with supports of lattice distortion. These are the significant reasons for improving tensile strength. Reduced grain sizes initiate surface region of the grain boundary to generate confrontation beside movement of dislocation throughout the boundaries. The enhanced tensile strength is attained by the movement of dislocation subjected to maximum energy which is demanded by the enhanced grain sizes [51, 52]. During the casting process with maintained process parameters, thermal strains triaxial state is persuaded at the strengthening particle interfaces result in soften solidifying from the pouring to air temperature. Finally, the base matrix aluminium is buildup together about the circumference of the TiB2 particles to plastically deformed [52, 63, 72].

The SEM image of fractured AL8079 surface reveals the occurred fracture mechanism is ductile. The matrix AL8079 is easily fractured, and its ductility is high because it does not break into two pieces. The SEM image fractured surface of AL8079/wt.% TiB2 (5,10 and 15) composite confirms that the assessed mechanism is partial brittle and partial ductile because of inclusion of titanium di boride enhances the hardness. The SEM image fractured surface of AL8079/20wt.% TiB2 composite confirms that the assessed mechanism is brittle because of inclusion of high wt.% of titanium di boride. The sample made without particulates reduces their plastic deformation and reduces the mechanical strength.

4. CONCLUSION

  • Aluminium 8079-based composites were successfully fabricated using the stir casting method with varying weight percentages of titanium diboride (TiB2).

  • The composites were subjected to solution treated and aged to enhance their mechanical properties.

  • Microstructural and elemental analyses were conducted using SEM and XRD, confirming a uniform distribution of TiB2 particles, particularly at 15 wt.% reinforcement.

  • Mechanical testing (microhardness, compressive, and impact tests) revealed that heat-treated composites outperformed their non-treated counterparts.

  • The AA8079/15 wt.% TiB2 composite exhibited the highest performance, with: Microhardness of 136 HV, Tensile strength 231 MPa, Compressive strength of 299 MPa, Impact strength of 3.52 J

  • Beyond 15 wt.% reinforcement, a decline in mechanical properties was observed, likely due to particle agglomeration and poor interfacial bonding

5. DATA AVAILABILITY

No data was available in this research.

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Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    24 July 2026
  • Date of issue
    2026

History

  • Received
    19 Nov 2025
  • Accepted
    09 June 2026
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