Experimental Investigation of Effects of Manganese IV Oxide on the Mechanical Properties of Aluminium Alloy.

Abstract

Aluminium and its alloys have proven to be highly valuable for a variety of technical applications due to its superior strength-to-weight ratio and exceptional corrosion resistance. As a result, there are numerous financial and environmental advantages to recycling it. The goal of this work is to significantly expand the engineering uses of recycled aluminium alloy by improving its mechanical characteristics by treatment with of MnO2. 30 kg of recyclable scrap aluminium alloy was initially acquired for the investigation in the form of ingots. Then, 5 kg of each was re-melted in three distinct samples. The first sample was re-melted and then left to cool naturally without any further intervention. 24g of dark powder from a dry cell thrown away was applied to the second sample, and 24g of MnO2 was applied to the third. Every sample underwent standard cooling procedures. The samples were then subjected to impact, tensile, and hardness testing by ASTM E8M-91 standard test protocols. The three samples were also subjected to XRD analysis. The sample treated with MnO2 had the highest hardness value, measuring 124 HV; the sample treated with powder from a discarded battery came in second, with 108.33 HV. With 99.30 HV, the control sample had the lowest value. The control sample had the highest UTS value of 92.74 MPa, the MnO2-treated sample had a UTS value of 68.23 MPa, and the sample treated with discarded battery powder had the lowest UTS value of 30.71 MPa. The control sample had the maximum impact strength value of 12.20 Joules, the discarded battery powder treated sample had an impact strength value of 11.96 Joules, and the MnO2-treated sample had an impact strength value of 11.32 Joules. The results of the study show that the recycled aluminium alloy becomes harder when MnO2 is added. Nevertheless, the inclusion of MnO2 shows a notable decline in the UTS of recycled aluminium alloy as well as a minor decrease in its impact strength.