Microstructure and mechanical properties of A356/Al2O3/MoS2 hybrid nanocomposites

Abstract

The technology of hybrid reinforcements responds to the ever-increasing dynamic demand for services in industries such as automobile, transportation, marine, and aerospace because of its appealing properties like high conductivity, high ductility and light weight. At this level, a study has been conducted to evaluate the microstructure and mechanical characteristics such as tensile strength and hardness of A356 hybrid nanocomposites reinforced with nano Al2O3 (0.5, 1, and 1.5 wt% of Al2O3) and soft solid lubricant nano MoS2 (0.5 wt% of MoS2) using stir casting procedure. Microstructural analysis of A356 reinforced with nano Al2O3 and nano MoS2 hybrid composites was conducted using SEM and which reveals that particles are distributed uniformly in the A356 matrix. The hardness and tensile tests have showed that adding Al2O3 and MoS2 particles to the A356 matrix resulted in a nanocomposite with excellent mechanical characteristics. Theoretical and actual densities of cast composite materials are determined by the Rule of mixture method and Archimedes principle respectively. Actual density of cast composite material is lesser when compared to the theoretical density of the material.