Graphene/Al6061 nanocomposite for aerospace and automobile application

Abstract

Even though the aviation and automotive construction industries have made some progress, the growing demand for lighter materials with high strength and wear resistance necessitates more research and development in this area. Graphene is a very important material in the family of advanced nanomaterials that can satisfy the needs for high strength and wear resistance in aviation and automotive applications; Consequently, they must be exploited extensively. If the issue of low strength and wear resistance is resolved, the 6061 alloys, which are lightweight, inexpensive, heat treatable, machinability, weldable, and highly resistant to corrosion, have the potential to serve as essential structural elements in the aviation and automotive industries. These include aircraft fuselages, wings, internal panels, door panels, chassis parts, and both internal and external trunk panels. Therefore, graphene nanoplates reinforced with 2, 4, 6, and 8% wt. were used to address the low strength of 6061 aluminum, to create novel graphene/Al6061 nanocomposites using the Stir Casting (SC) furnace. The micrographs taken with FESEM revealed that reinforcing graphene results in uniform distribution, and low porosity which is the primary reason for the enhancement of the strength. Maximum strength of 265.53 MPa is achieved for 8 wt% of graphene reinforcement which is 120 percent greater than base alloy (120.64 MPa).