Mechanical properties and fractography of cast lead-alloy/quartz particulate composites

Abstract

This paper reports an investigation of the mechanical properties of as-cast lead-antimony alloy composites containing quartz particles of size 30-50 μm and of contents ranging from 0 to 12% in steps of 4% by weight. The 'vortex method' was used to produce the composites. The result of the study revealed that as the quartz content in the material increased, there were significant improvements in the mechanical properties evaluated, such as ultimate tensile strength, hardness and impact strength of the composite material, but at the cost of ductility. It was found that a small amount of quartz could enhance the properties of the composite significantly. The fractography of the fractured surfaces revealed that the unreinforced lead-alloy matrix had large dimples whereas in the composites, the extent of dimpling decreased with the increase in quartz particle content. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.