Chemometric Optimization of Superplastic Forming Parameters in SiC-Reinforced Aluminium Matrix Composites via Response Surface Methodology

The rapid industrial development leads to a variety of complex shapes being manufactured in various fields, i.e., aerospace, automobile, architecture, and medical applications, with high quality at minimum cost. In this virtue, superplastic forming plays an imperative role in the
production of complex shapes in aluminum alloys. The superplastic formation exhibits polycrystalline in an isotropic manner the near net shape components production with high tensile elongations. In general, superplastic forming is a long-neck-free elongation under low flow stresses. In this work, Al 7075 is used as a base material, and the SiC particles were reinforced in three various percentages, i.e., 5, 7.5, and 10 weight percentages. After the fabrication of the composites for further improvement of the mechanical properties, the composite was hot-rolled and the grain was recrystallized. The multi-dome test was conducted for the confirmation of superplastic forming in 1mm and 1.5 mm of aluminum alloy sheets, and the strain rate sensitivity index was calculated. The result reveals that 5% of SiC composites have a maximum strain rate sensitivity at the rate of 0.45. The fracture surface analysis indicates
that the superplastic deformation is mostly dominated by grain boundary sliding and dynamic recrystallization.