American Journal of Materials Science and Application 2013; 1(1): 1-9 Published online November 30, 2013 (http://www.openscienceonline.com/journal/ajmsa) Characterizing the mechanical behavior of mild steel reinforced structural aluminum S. O. Adeosun 1 , Akpan Emmanuel I. 2 , S. A. Balogun 1 , H. O. B. Ebifemi 1 1 Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria 2 Department of Materials and Production Engineering, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma Email address samsonoluropo@yahoo.com (S. O. Adeosun), emma_eia@yahh.com (Akpan E. I.), sanmbo2003@yahoo.co.uk (S. A. Balogun) To cite this article S. O. Adeosun, Akpan Emmanuel I., S. A. Balogun, H. O. B. Ebifemi. Characterizing the Mechanical Behavior of Mild Steel Reinforced Structural Aluminum. American Journal of Materials Science and Application. Vol. 1, No. 1, 2013, pp. 1-9. Abstract The influence of 425( ) mild steel particles (MSp) on the mechanical properties of structural AA6063 aluminum alloy has been studied. About 5 to 10 wt% of filler are added to molten structural aluminum alloy and cast using the stir casting method. The cast samples are homogenized at 470°C for 8hrs. Some of the homogenized samples are rolled at ambient temperature (30°C) with 30% thickness reduction. Half the rolled samples are further tempered at 250°C for 8hrs and air-cooled. All processed samples are subjected to tensile, hardness, impact and microstructural examinations. The tensile strength of 124MPa is achieved with 10wt% MSp in as-cast condition with a ductility of 3.65% while hardness of composite increases with filler content. The optimum composite strength and ductility is obtained at 15wt % of filler combined with rolling and tempering processes (11 0.4876MPa, 0.0482). Keywords Mild-steel-particles, AA6063, Composites, Microstructure, Ductility 1. Introduction The excellent properties of 6xxx-group alloys have made it suitable for application in the building, aircraft, and automotive industries ((Mr ´owka-Nowotnik and Sieniawski, 2005a; 2005b; Orozco-Gonz`alez, et al., 2011). The Si and Mg as main alloying elements in 6xxx series partly dissolved in the primary α-Al matrix, and partly present in the form of intermetallic phases. A range of different intermetallic phases may form during solidification, depending on alloy composition and solidification condition. The relative volume fraction, chemical composition, and morphology of structural fillers exert significant influence on their useful properties (Mr ´owka-Nowotnik, et al., 2006; Karabay et al., 2005; Warmuzek et al., 2003; Biroli et al., 1998; Mr ´owka- Nowotnik, 2010; Miao and Laughlin, 1999; Gupta et al., 2001; Zajac, et al., 2002; Siddiqui et al., 2000). Previous studies on the improvement of mechanical properties has been focused on heat treatment, precipitation, and age hardening (Adeosun et al., 2010). Authors have noted that the formation and precipitation of intermetallics such as Al- Fe-Si and Al-Fe-Si-Mn have significant influence on the useful properties of 6xxx group of alloys (Mr ´owka- Nowotnik, 2010; Miao and Laughlin, 1999). Aluminum 6063 alloy is a medium strength alloy of the 6xxx series which is commonly referred to as an architectural alloy and normally used in intricate extrusions. It has a good surface finish and high corrosion resistance. It is amenable to welding and can be easily anodised. It is commonly available as T6 temper and in the T4 condition it has good formability (Wilson Data Sheet, 2013).This alloy is typically used in architectural applications, extrusions, window frames, doors, shop fittings, irrigation tubing. In balustrading, the rails and posts are normally in the T6 temper while formed elbows and bends are in T4 condition. The T4 temper 6063 aluminium is also finding applications in hydroformed tube for chassis. Previous research has shown that addition of particles or elemental powders such as iron powder, aluminium oxide, steel dust, ceramic particles and silicon carbide to the AA