Workability of sintered aluminium composite preforms of varying Cu and TiC contents during cold deformation

The present research investigates the workability behaviour of sintered Aluminium (Al) composites under cold deformation. Workability measures the level of deformation that materials can sustain prior to failure in the forming process. The effects of different weight percent of Copper (Cu) and Titanium carbide (TiC) addition to the Al composite preforms were experimentally determined. Al, Al-3%Cu, Al-3%Cu-2%TiC and Al-3%Cu-4%TiC were cold upset under different frictional conditions (nil/no lubricant, graphite lubricant and zinc stearate lubricant) and aspect ratios (0.45 and 0.9) to determine the workability behaviour. The curves were plotted and analysed for different preforms. The effects of the reinforcement addition to the Al composite and initial preform geometry on the relative density (R), and other influencing physical parameter such as axial stress and the formability stress index, β is presented.