Aluminum matrix composites based on Al6061 have attracted considerable attention for lightweight structural applications due to their favorable strength-to-weight ratio and good corrosion resistance. Although several studies have investigated Al6061 composites reinforced individually with ZrO2 or TiO2, systematic studies on hybrid composites containing both reinforcements remain limited. In particular, the combined influence of ZrO2 and TiO2, on the physical and thermo-mechanical properties of Al6061-based composites has not been fully explored. In this study, Al6061–5wt.% ZrO2 hybrid composites reinforced with varying TiO2 content (0–12 wt.%) along with minor additions of SrO and Y2O3 were fabricated using the stir casting technique. The developed composites were characterized in terms of microstructure, density, porosity, and thermo-mechanical properties. The results demonstrated that a remarkable improvement in density (2.6521 to 2.6719 g/cc), and hardness (74 to 94 HV) were ascertained. Whereas, tensile strength, tensile modulus, impact strength, compressive strength, fracture toughness enhanced with 0 to 8 weight percent TiO2 reinforcement, and upon further increasing the TiO2 weight percentage these properties reduced. Thermal conductivity demonstrated a decreasing trend from 127.9 to 119.4 W/m-K with TiO2 reinforcement. The microstructural studies were carried using SEM. The composites reinforced with 8wt.% TiO2 exhibited the best combination of mechanical properties. This novel and all-encompassing commonality across all the investigated properties for complex microstructures may prove useful in developing superior composite structures and other high-performance engineering applications.
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