Abstract
This study aims to determine the effect of milling time and sintering temperature parameters on the alumina transformation phase in the manufacture of Aluminium Matrix Composites (AMCs) reinforced by 20 % silica sand tailings using powder metallurgy technology. The matrix and fillers use waste to make the composites more efficient, clean the environment, and increase waste utilization. The milling time applied to the Mechanical Alloying (MA) process was 0.5, 6, 24, 48, and 96 hours, with a ball parameter ratio of 15:1 and a rotation of 93 rpm. Furthermore, hot compaction was carried out using a 100 MPa two-way hydraulic compression machine at a temperature of 300 °C for 20 minutes. The temperature variables of the sintering parameter process were 550, 600 to 650 °C, with a holding time of 10 minutes. Characterization of materials carried out included testing particle size, porosity, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), SEM-Image, and SEM-EDX. The particle measurement of mechanical alloying processed, using Particle Size Analyzer (PSA) instrument and based on XRD data using the Scherrer equation, showed a relatively similar trend, decreasing particle size occurs when milling time was increased 0.5 to 24 hours. However, when the milling time increases to 48 and 96 hours, the particle size tends to increase slightly, due to cold-weld and agglomeration when the Mechanical Alloying is processed. The impact is the occurrence of the matrix and filler particle pairs in the cold-weld state. So, the results of XRD and SEM-EDX characterization showed a second phase transformation to form alumina compounds at a relatively low sintering temperature of 600 °C after the mechanical alloying process was carried out with a milling time on least 24 hours
Highlights
Aluminium Matrix Composites (AMCs) products have been widely applied in the aerospace and automotive industries due to their high strength-to-weight ratio [1], even aluminium metal is the second light metal after magnesium which is most widely used in industry after iron [2, 3]
Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) image and particle distribution graph results to the MA Mechanical Alloying (MA) product mixtures There were 5 variations of milling time realized during the mixing process of the powdered material constituents of AMCs using the Mechanical Alloying (MA) method, namely 0.5, 6, 24, 48, and 96 hours
Based on the characterization results of AMCs specimens reinforced with silica sand tailings, which includes particle-size, and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) testing, the calculated particle size using the Scherrer equation, and microstructure testing using Scanning Electron Microscope – Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX), the following conclusions were made: a) the AMCs powder metallurgy fabrication using materials such as Al-ZnSiFeCuMg, re cycled aluminium waste, reinforced with silica sand tailings was successfully mixed using the MA technology; b) the mixing of AMCs constituent powders using the MA process was proven to successfully and properly crush the composites’ powder
Summary
AMCs products have been widely applied in the aerospace and automotive industries due to their high strength-to-weight ratio [1], even aluminium metal is the second light metal after magnesium which is most widely used in industry after iron [2, 3]. MA is an essential process of powder metallurgy techniques widely used and developed as (2022), «EUREKA: Physics and Engineering» Number 1 reported in several recent studies This solid-state method [8], involves repeated ball collisions, thereby leading to deformation, cold welding, fracturing, and re-welding of powder particles in a high-energy ball mill [9]. It has been widely used, to synthesize various materials, such as intermetallic compounds [10], amorphous alloys [11], nanocrystalline substances [12], carbides [13], nitrides, and composites [14]
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