Effect of Ultrasonic Stir Casting Technique on Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Aluminium–Multi-walled Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposites

Abstract

This paper studies the enhancement of the mechanical and tribological properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT)-reinforced aluminium nanocomposites prepared by ultra-sonication-assisted stir casting method. The investigations were made to assess the effect of MWCNT weight percentage on the property enhancement of nanocomposites. MWCNTs in 1, 2 and 3% weight is added to LM 9 grade aluminium and processed in a stir casting machine with an ultrasonic probe. The ultra-sonication during casting resulted in a better dispersion of MWCNTs in the base materials. The results indicate a significant improvement in the hardness of the nanocomposite. The wear rate and coefficient of friction of Aluminium–MWCNTs composite have notably reduced during the test on a pin on disk tribometer compared to LM 9 aluminium base material. The percentage of MWCNTs is found to be a significant factor, and there is a progressive improvement in the properties with 3 wt% of MWCNTs–Aluminium composite giving the best performance.