Aluminum is a material with advantageous properties such as lightness, good conductivity, high plastic deformation ability, and superior corrosion resistance. However, aluminum and many aluminum alloys have disadvantages in terms of mechanical properties such as hardness, tensile strength, and wear resistance. To overcome this disadvantage of aluminum, it is a good method to add ceramic particles to the matrix. For this purpose, in this study, B4C (boron carbide)-reinforced AA2014 aluminum matrix composites were fabricated at 3%, 5%, and 7% reinforcement ratios using the stir casting method. Tensile tests, wear tests, cutting force measurements, and microhardness measurements were performed to determine the fabricated composite materials’ mechanical properties. Scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy were used to analyze the microstructure of composite. X-ray diffraction analysis was utilized to study the phase identification. As a result of the study, it was observed that with the increase in the B4C reinforcement ratio, the mechanical properties of the aluminum matrix composite material, such as wear resistance, cutting strength, and hardness, increased. On the other hand, the change in tensile strength did not occur in this way. Tensile strength first increased and then decreased. The highest value of tensile strength was achieved at 5% B4C reinforcement. X-ray diffraction results showed that AA2014 and B4C were the fundamental elements in composites and are free from intermetallics.

Aluminum-based metal matrix composites are extensively used in applications in many industrial fields, especially in the aviation and automotive industry. The usage rate is increasing day by day. Therefore, it is very important to improve the mechanical properties of the composite structure. For this purpose, in this study, 3, 5, and 7 wt.% tungsten carbide (WC) reinforced aluminum matrix composite material was produced by stir casting method. The mechanical properties (tensile strength, hardness, wear) of the produced composite materials and their effect on machinability were investigated. The machinability process was performed in constant cutting speed, constant cutting depth, three different feed rates (0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 mm·rev−1), and dry environmental conditions. Wear tests were performed on dry sliding conditions, under 25 N load, covering different distances (150, 300, 450, and 600 m). In addition, the microstructure of the composite samples was analyzed using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscope. The phases in the composite material were determined using the X-ray diffraction technique. As a result of the experiments, with the addition of WC particles, the mechanical properties of the materials such as tensile strength, hardness, and wear resistance have increased and the machinability capability has decreased.