INVESTIGATING THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND MICROSTRUCTURE OF AA 7074 COMPOSITES WITH SILICON NITRIDE REINFORCEMENT

Notice

This is an unedited manuscript accepted for publication and provided as an Article in Press for early access at the author’s request. The article will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and galley proof review before final publication. Please be aware that errors may be identified during production that could affect the content. All legal disclaimers of the journal apply.

Year : 2026 | Volume : 14 | 03 | Page :
    By

    V Ravi Raj,

  • G Ashwin Prabhu,

  • S. Karthik,

  • Vaddi Seshagiri Rao,

  • SP Arunkumar,

  • Ameeth Basha I,

  • S Venkatesan,

  • M Kalaimani,

  1. Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sri Sairam Engineering College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  2. Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, St. Joseph’s College of Engineering, Old Mahabalipuram Road, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  3. Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, PSNA College of Engineering and Technology, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, India
  4. Professor and Principal, Department of Mechanical Engineering, St. Joseph’s College of Engineering, Old Mahabalipuram Road, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  5. Professor, Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Nehru Institute of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
  6. Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry (S & H), Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering & Technology, Thirupachur, Thiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu, India
  7. Assistant Professor, Department of Aeronautical Engineering, Er. Perumal Manimekalai College of Engineering, Hosur to Krishnagiri Highways, Nallaganakothapalli, Near Koneripalli (PO), Shoolagiri, Hosur Taluk, Krishnagiri District, Tamil Nadu, India
  8. Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technology, Avadi, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

This study investigates the mechanical and microstructural properties of AA 7074 aluminium alloy reinforced with 1%, 3%, and 5% by weight of silicon nitride (Si₃N₄), fabricated via the stir casting method, intended for structural aerospace applications. A thorough series of mechanical tests—comprising tensile, compression, hardness, impact, flexural, and wear tests—was performed to assess the influence of differing reinforcing content. The composite containing 5 wt% Si₃N₄ (SN5) demonstrated the most pronounced enhancements, with the peak compressive strength of 590.36 N/mm² (an increase from 582.87 N/mm² in SN1) and a tensile strength of 109.84 MPa (an increase from 108.58 MPa in SN1). The Vickers hardness increased from 25.8 HV to 24.8 HV, and the impact strength rose from 13.8 J to 17.6 J, demonstrating enhanced toughness and resistance to localised deformation. The flexural strength increased from 24.09 MPa (SN1) to 29.65 MPa (SN5), indicating higher resistance to bending and crack propagation. Wear loss consistently measured 0.02 g across all samples, whereas the coefficient of friction was minimal for SN5 at 0.37, indicating enhanced tribological performance. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) validated consistent particle distribution and robust interfacial interaction with the matrix, particularly in the SN5 sample, which correlates with enhanced mechanical performance and fracture resistance. The AA 7074 + 5 wt% Si₃N₄ composite emerged as the superior combination, providing the most significant improvement in mechanical properties. Its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, hardness, and wear resistance render it an exceedingly promising material for aircraft structural components and other high-performance applications where lightweight and durability are essential.

Keywords: AA 7074 Aluminum Alloy, Silicon Nitride (Si₃N₄), Metal Matrix Composites (MMC), Stir Casting, Mechanical Properties, Tensile Strength, Microstructure Analysis, Wear Resistance, Aerospace Applications.

How to cite this article:
V Ravi Raj, G Ashwin Prabhu, S. Karthik, Vaddi Seshagiri Rao, SP Arunkumar, Ameeth Basha I, S Venkatesan, M Kalaimani. INVESTIGATING THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND MICROSTRUCTURE OF AA 7074 COMPOSITES WITH SILICON NITRIDE REINFORCEMENT. Journal of Polymer & Composites. 2026; 14(03):-.
How to cite this URL:
V Ravi Raj, G Ashwin Prabhu, S. Karthik, Vaddi Seshagiri Rao, SP Arunkumar, Ameeth Basha I, S Venkatesan, M Kalaimani. INVESTIGATING THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND MICROSTRUCTURE OF AA 7074 COMPOSITES WITH SILICON NITRIDE REINFORCEMENT. Journal of Polymer & Composites. 2026; 14(03):-. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/jopc/article=2026/view=243145


References

  1. Kumar, G. V., Panigrahy, P. P., Nithika, S., & Rao, C. S. P. (2019). Assessment of mechanical and tribological characteristics of Silicon Nitride reinforced aluminum metal matrix composites. Composites Part B: Engineering, 175, 107138.
  2. Kumaraswamy, J., Bharath, L., Anil, K. C., Geetha, T. M., & Nagesh, R. (2025). Results in mechanical properties and wear behaviour of AA6061-Si3N4 composites. Results in Surfaces and Interfaces, 18, 100376.
  3. Ramesh, S., Gautam, S. K., Roy, H., Lohar, A. K., Samanta, S. K., Anand, A., … & Kumar, S. (2024). Structure property correlation of gravity die-cast and rheocast Al–Mg–Sc–Zr in situ Nano-TiB2 composite. International Journal of Metalcasting, 18(4), 3095-3103.
  4. Natrayan, & Navaneethakrishnan, B. (2024). Finger millet husk ash Si3N4 as an alternative mold material for green sand mold casting of AA7075 alloys: an optimization study. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, 14(23), 29689-29698.
  5. Mohammed, M. M., Rasidi, M., Mohammed, A. M., Rahman, R. B., Osman, A. F., Adam, T., … & Dahham, O. S. (2022). Interfacial bonding mechanisms of natural fibre-matrix composites: an overview. BioResources, 17(4), 7031.
  6. Ashwin Prabhu, G., Selvam, R. & Kumar, K.M. Evaluating hybrid basalt and stainless-steel wire mesh laminated composites under low impact velocity tests for naval applications. J. Mater. Res. 40, 2169–2180 (2025).
  7. Prasanth, G., Madhu, G. M., & Kottam, N. (2024). CeAlO3 nanoparticle synthesis through combustion-assisted method and structural property assessment in Nano-CeAlO3 polymer composites. Materials Technology, 39(1), 2330279.
  8. Manawi, Y. M., Ihsanullah, Samara, A., Al-Ansari, T., & Atieh, M. A. (2018). A review of carbon nanomaterials’ synthesis via the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. Materials, 11(5), 822.
  9. Kalidasan, B., Pandey, A. K., Saidur, R., Samykano, M., & Tyagi, V. V. (2023). Nano additive enhanced salt hydrate phase change materials for thermal energy storage. International Materials Reviews, 68(2), 140-183.
  10. Stalin, B., Arivukkarasan, S., & Prabhu, G. A. (2015). Microstructure and mechanical properties evaluation of aluminium matrix reinforced with tungsten carbide and silicon carbide. International Journal of Applied Engineering Research, 10(55), 3994-3999.
  11. Sun, F., Osenberg, M., Dong, K., Zhou, D., Hilger, A., Jafta, C. J., … & Manke, I. (2018). Correlating morphological evolution of Li electrodes with degrading electrochemical performance of Li/LiCoO2 and Li/S battery systems: investigated by synchrotron X-ray phase contrast tomography. ACS Energy Letters, 3(2), 356-365.
  12. Townsend, A., & Gouws, R. (2022). A comparative review of lead-acid, lithium-ion and ultra-capacitor technologies and their degradation mechanisms. Energies, 15(13), 4930.
  13. Khalid, R., Shah, A., Javed, M., & Hussain, H. (2025). Progress and obstacles in electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries: a journey towards enhanced energy storage efficiency. RSC advances, 15(20), 15951-15998.
  14. Hong, H., Mohamad, N. A. R. C., Chae, K., Mota, F. M., & Kim, D. H. (2021). The lithium metal anode in Li–S batteries: challenges and recent progress. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 9(16), 10012-10038.
  15. Pratheesh, K., Kaliappan, S., Natrayan, L., & Arthanarieswaran, V. P. (2024). Dry and wet sliding, fatigue, creep and mechanical properties of AA-7475 metal matrix composite reinforced with Si2N2O from rice husk ash. Journal of the Australian Ceramic Society, 1-12.
  16. Prabhu, G.A., Selvam, R. & Kumar, K.M. (2024). Enhancing the Mechanical Properties of Basalt Fiber and Stainless Steel Wire Mesh Composites Incorporating Fire Retardants Through Response Surface Methodology Optimization. Fibers Polym 25, 1443–1455.
  17. Yang, J. N., Xu, Y. X., Nie, S. B., Feng, X. S., & Jiang, L. (2021). Effect of organic-modified nickel phyllosilicates on the tribological, mechanical and thermal properties of epoxy composites. Journal of Materials Research and Technology, 14, 692-702.
  18. Jayakanth, J., Chennakesavulu, K., Ramanjaneya Reddy, G., Dhanalakshmi, S., Priya, V., Sasikumar, K., & Sasipraba, T. (2023). A study on development of silicone rubber with conductive carbon, polyaniline, MWCNT composite for EMI shielding. High performance polymers, 35(6), 547-558.
  19. Gopal, V., Bharanidaran, R., Jesudass Thomas, S. et al. (2026). Design, fabrication and performance evaluation of a 3D-printed microgripper based on compliant mechanisms for precision manipulation. J Micro-Bio Robot 22, 1.
  20. Aditya, I. D., Matsunaka, D., Shibutani, Y., & Yamamoto, G. (2017). First-principles study of interfacial interaction between carbon nanotube and Al2O3 (0001). Journal of Applied Physics, 121(2).
  21. Kumeria, T., Santos, A., & Losic, D. (2014). Nanoporous anodic alumina platforms: engineered surface chemistry and structure for optical sensing applications. Sensors, 14(7), 11878-11918.
  22. Natarajan, Eswara Prasath, Rasu, Karthick, Murugesan, Vigneshkumar and Gnanasekaran, Ashwin Prabhu. “Effect of basalt and kenaf fiber hybridization on the physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of polymer composites” Materials Testing, vol. 67, no. 11, 2025, pp. 1860-1869
  23. Chizhov, A., Rumyantseva, M., & Gaskov, A. (2021). Light activation of nanocrystalline metal oxides for gas sensing: Principles, achievements, challenges. Nanomaterials, 11(4), 892.
  24. Sun, F., Osenberg, M., Dong, K., Zhou, D., Hilger, A., Jafta, C. J., … & Manke, I. (2018). Correlating morphological evolution of Li electrodes with degrading electrochemical performance of Li/LiCoO2 and Li/S battery systems: investigated by synchrotron X-ray phase contrast tomography. ACS Energy Letters, 3(2), 356-365.
  25. Murali, M., Sambathkumar, M., & Saravanan, M. S. (2014). Micro structural and mechanical properties of AA 7075/TiO2 in situ composites. Universal Journal of Materials Science, 2(3), 49-53.
  26. Rimikis, A., Kimmich, R., & Schneider, T. (2002). Investigation of n-values of composite superconductors. IEEE transactions on applied superconductivity, 10(1), 1239-1242.
  27. Ashwin Prabhu, G., Selvam, R., Tiwari, V. et al. (2025). Optimizing hybrid composites: Enhancing mechanical properties with SiC and Al2O3 nanoparticles using response surface methodology. J. Mater. Res. 40, 2723–2734.
  28. Hernández-Martínez, S. E., Cruz-Rivera, J. J., Garay-Reyes, C. G., & Hernández-Rivera, J. L. (2019). Experimental and numerical analyses of the consolidation process of AA 7075–2 wt.% ZrO2 powders by equal channel angular pressing. Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance, 28(1), 154-161.
  29. Masi, A., Armenio, A. A., Augieri, A., Celentano, G., Duchenko, A., Pompeo, N., … & Varsano, F. (2024). Development of Ca/K-1144 IBS wires with composite Cu/Ta sheaths. IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, 34(3), 1-5.
  30. Verma, P. K., Kaipamangalath, A., Varma, M. R., & Bai, V. S. (2023). Nonreactive Nano WO 3 Inclusions to Enhance Flux Pinning in Bi-2223 Superconductor Composites. IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, 34(1), 1-12.
  31. Babu, N. H., Iida, K., Briffa, A., Shi, Y. H., Matthews, L. S., & Cardwell, D. A. (2007). Bulk superconducting nano-composites with high critical currents. IEEE transactions on applied superconductivity, 17(2), 2953-2956.
  32. Nazareth, V. R., Sumption, M. D., Peng, X., Gregory, E., Tomsic, M. J., & Collings, E. W. (2008). Characterization of the A15 Layer Growth and Microstructure for Varying Heat Treatments in ${rm Nb} _ {3}{rm Sn} $ Tube Type Composites. IEEE transactions on applied superconductivity, 18(2), 1005-1009.
  33. Kubit, A., Wydrzynski, D., & Trzepiecinski, T. (2018). Refill friction stir spot welding of 7075-T6 aluminium alloy single-lap joints with polymer sealant interlayer. Composite Structures, 201, 389-397.
  34. Smoleń, J., Olesik, P., Stępień, K., Mikuśkiewicz, M., Myalska-Głowacka, H., Kozioł, M., … & Godzierz, M. (2024). The influence of graphite filler on the self-lubricating properties of epoxy composites. Materials, 17(6), 1308.
  35. Yu, T., Hu, C., & Li, Y. (2019). Functionalization of graphene and its influence on mechanical properties and flame retardancy of jute/poly (lactic acid) composite. Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 19(11), 7074-7082.
  36. Díaz, S., Romero, F., Suárez, L., Ríos, R., Alemán, M., Venuleo, M., & Ortega, Z. (2024). Characterization of microalgae biomass-based composites obtained through rotational molding. Polymers, 16(13), 1807.
  37. Cooley, L. D., & Lee, P. J. (2002). Shift of the flux-pinning force curve in Nb/sub 3/Sn thin films with very fine grain size. IEEE transactions on applied superconductivity, 11(1), 3820-3823.
  38. Sanivada, U. K., Mármol, G., Brito, F. P., & Fangueiro, R. (2020). PLA composites reinforced with flax and jute fibers—A review of recent trends, processing parameters and mechanical properties. Polymers, 12(10), 2373.
  39. Gouda, P. S., Williams, J. D., Yasaee, M., Chatterjee, V., Jawali, D., Rahatekar, S. S., & Wisnom, M. R. (2016). Drawdown prepreg coating method using epoxy terminated butadiene nitrile rubber to improve fracture toughness of glass epoxy composites. Journal of Composite Materials, 50(7), 873-884.
  40. Cure, B., Gaddi, A., Gerwig, H., Herve, A., & ten Kate, H. (2011). Conceptual Design of a 5 T, 6 m Long and 6 m Bore Solenoid for a Future Linear Collider Detector. IEEE transactions on applied superconductivity, 22(3), 4902304-4902304.
Ahead of Print Subscription Original Research
Volume 14
03
Received 07/04/2026
Accepted 06/05/2026
Published 07/05/2026
Publication Time 30 Days
31

Login


My IP

PlumX Metrics