Production and Characterisation of Aluminium Alloy - Bagasse Ash Composites

Abstract

The study was carried out to determine the density and mechanical properties of Al-7%Si alloy - Bagasse Ash (BA) composite produced at 800 o C. BA obtained at 700 o C and having high silica and alumina contents of up to 77.29% and 10.95%, respectively was used as reinforcement and varied from 0vol% to 30vol%. The density and some mechanical properties of the produced composites were determined. The results showed that the density decreases with percentage increase in reinforcement from 2840.242kgm -3 to 2292.208kgm -3 with the minimum value at 30vol% BA. The results of the mechanical properties tests showed that, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) varies from 139.677MNm -2 to 176.683MNm -2 with maximum value at 10vol% BA, Young modulus varies from 1429.890MNm -2 to 1725.425MNm -2 with maximum value at 10vol% BA, impact strength varies from 75.401kJm -2 to 128.262kJm -2 with maximum value at 10vol% BA and hardness varies from 70.467RHV to 90.767HRV with maximum value at 20vol% BA and with all the hardness values better than that of the control sample. The results also showed that, the fatigue strength varies from 0.066x10 6 cycles to 1.797x10 6 cycles with maximum value at 15vol% BA and the percentage elongation having approximately the same value.The results of the statistical analysis showed that there are significant differences among the means of each property of the composites at various levels of BA replacement (P<0.05).It was concluded that bagasse ash can be used as reinforcement in aluminium composites and the produced composites could be used in automobile industry for the production of engine blocks, pistons, among others.