Aluminum-based Composites Research Articles

Synthesis and characterisation of waste SAC- and RHA-reinforced aluminium-based composite

Two types of industrial wastes – namely, spent alumina catalyst (SAC) and rice husk ash (RHA) – were used to develop an aluminium (Al)-based metal matrix composite. The matrix material was derived from car scrap aluminium alloy wheels (SAAWs). SAC is expected to enhance the mechanical properties, and RHA proves to be very useful in increasing the strength and hardness of aluminium. Alumina particles were taken as a reference to compare waste materials as reinforcements. Microstructural studies revealed that all the reinforcement particles were bonded well with the matrix material. The mechanical properties of the matrix material improved very well when 10% alumina reinforcement particles were mixed with the SAAW matrix. However, when 3.75% SAC and 3.75% RHA were added to SAAW after ball-milling, the strength and hardness of the matrix material increased almost to that of alumina. The average particle size effect of ball-milled SAC and RHA powder was also observed to identify its effect on the mechanical properties of the developed composite.

Evaluation of mechanical performance on a developed AA 6061matrix-Mg/0.9-Si/0.68 reinforced with B4C based composites

Aluminum matrix composites are chosen for electronic, aircraft, and automobile components due to the lightness of their weight and high specific strength. High-quality aluminum-based composites are well known for their microhardness and high refractoriness performance in aerospace with the advantage of structural applications. The boron carbide ceramic as a reinforcement plays an outstanding function in the base matrix to enhance the mechanical behavior of the composites. The present effort revealed that the synthesized composites were fabricated by the stir casting process and B4C having a particulate size of 50 µm were reinforced from 1% to 15% in the AA 6061 by varying weight percentages. Microhardness such as Brinell and Rockwell hardness moreover impact testing was performed experimentally. The mechanical characterization of fabricated composites with high mechanical performance-based composites has been investigated in this research work. Using microstructural characterization by scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction we examinded high mechanical performance-based composites.

Investigation of Stresses Induced Due to the Mismatch of the Coefficients of Thermal Expansion of the Matrix and the Strengthening Particle in Aluminum-Based Composites

An experimental and theoretical investigation of the strength properties of aluminum alloys strengthened by dispersed nanoparticles, as well as the determination of the significance of various mechanisms responsible for the strengthening of the material, was carried out. Results of experimental investigation demonstrate that the hardening of aluminum alloy A356 by Al2O3 and ScF3 nanoparticles leads to an increase in the yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and plasticity. Despite the similar size of Al2O3 and ScF3 nanoparticles, the physicomechanical properties of nanoparticles significantly affect the possibility of increasing the mechanical properties of the A356 aluminum alloy. A physicomathematical model of the occurrence of thermal stresses was developed caused by the mismatch of the coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs) of the matrix and strengthening particles on the basis of the fundamental principles of mechanics of a deformable solid and taking into account the elastic properties of not only the matrix, but also the particle. The forming of thermal stresses induced due to the mismatch of the coefficients of thermal expansion of the matrix and the strengthening particle in aluminum-based composites was investigated. In the case of thermal deformation of dispersion-hardened alloys, when the CTE of the matrix and particles noticeably differ, an additional stress field is created in the vicinity of the strengthening particle. Thermal stresses increase the effective particle size. This phenomenon can significantly affect the result of the assessment of the yield strength. The strengthening caused by thermal mismatch makes the largest contribution to the yield strength improvement. The yield strength increments due to Nardon×Prewo and Orowan mechanisms are much lower.

Study on Mechanical and Thermal Expansion Properties of Oxide Coated Magnesium Borate Whiskers Reinforced Aluminum-based Composite

The surface of magnesium borate whiskers was coated with oxide coatings of different components by chemical precipitation method, and magnesium borate whisker-reinforced aluminum-based composites were prepared by squeeze casting method. The compressive deformation resistance of the prefabricated whisker and the tensile and thermal expansion properties of the composite were tested. The experimental results show that the oxide coating can effectively improve the anti-deformation ability of the whisker preform, and the whisker preform prepared by MgO and Al2O3 coating has better strength, and the compressive strength at room temperature reaches 0.98 MPa and 0.96 MPa. The composite material prepared by Al2O3 coated whiskers has the highest room temperature tensile strength of 263 MPa, and the composite material prepared by ZnO coated whiskers has the lowest room temperature tensile strength of 224 MPa. The thermal expansion curve of the composite material shows that as the temperature increases, the thermal expansion coefficient of the composite material gradually increases, and the thermal expansion coefficient of the composite material decreases slightly after a temperature cycle.

Investigation of physical, mechanical & wear behavior of aluminium composite carrying ceramic Boron carbide particles

• Development of aluminium-based composite using liquid metallurgical route. • Influence of B4C reinforcements on the Physical, Mechanical and wear properties. • Uniform distribution of particles was also analyzed using SEM evaluation. Light weighting is the biggest challenge over the next two decades to improve the fuel economy and meet the evolving demands. Material and technological advances account for most of the weight loss. Aluminium based metal matrix composites (Al-MMC’s) are popular and represent more than three fourth of metal matrix composites (MMCs) produced annually because of the outstanding physical, mechanical and tribological characteristics. Development of lightweight aluminium-based composite (AlC) and to examine the influence of reinforcement on mechanical, physical & wear properties of AlC reinforced with Boron Carbide (B4C) is the main purpose of the current research. The produced AlC is of great significance because they display superior mechanical properties and better resistance to wear compared with the base traditional material (matrix 6061Al). The denouement of the experimental investigation discovered that the proposed composite with 8% of total B4C reinforcement material displays high hardness, high yield strength, relatively low density, and low specific wear rate. The equitable distribution of particles was also analyzed using SEM evaluation, with the findings indicating the consistent dissemination of ceramic B4C reinforcement particles in the base matrix alloy.

Electrical Discharge Machining of SiC Reinforced 6061-T6 Aluminum Alloy Surface Composite Fabricated by Friction Stir Processing

Engineered materials with high hardness, great wear tolerance, high high-temperature power, and a low thermal expansion coefficient are aluminum-based composites. These materials are widely used in the automotive and aerospace industries. Friction stir processing (FSP) method used to prepare SiC reinforced aluminium alloy surface composite. Material removal rate (MRR) and surface roughness (SR) are measured with the impact of pulse on time, discharge current, and pulse off time (add one or two outcomes remark at SR and MRR optimal condition) is examined. For each of the three machining parameters, L9 orthogonal arrays (OA) of three levels were used in conducting the experiments. The validity of the Aluminum Surface Composite experiment programme is determined using MINITAB.

Optimisation of aluminium-based hybrid surface composites produced via friction stir processing using Taguchi technique

Optimisation of aluminium-based hybrid surface composites produced via friction stir processing using Taguchi technique

Mechanical and tribological behavioral evaluation of AA7075/TiB2 composite processed through UST

Abstract Development of materials with high strength having lightweight, has been the subject of intense research for the past three decades, and these are being exploited for a range of commercial applications, particularly the aviation and automotive sector. Aluminum-based metal matrix composites (AMCs) are being preferred for most of the applications. In this investigation, an attempt has been made to synthesize AA7075/TiB2 composite through the in-situ salt melt reaction technique and ultrasound-assisted in-situ technique (UST). Furthermore, the effect of hot forging on the in-situ and also UST composites is investigated. Microstructural analysis reveals that the UST reduced the porosity level, and further, the UST refines the size of TiB2 particles along with improvement in the dispersion of the TiB2 particles. The assessment of the composite confirms that the UST is found to improve the mechanical and tribological characteristics significantly. UST forged composite shows enhanced hardness and strength as compared to as-cast, in-situ, and UST.

Effect of friction stir process parameters on tensile strength of eggshell and SiC-reinforced aluminium-based composite

PurposeThis study aims to minimize pollution and enhance the mechanical properties of SiC- reinforced aluminum- based composite by utilizing waste eggshell. Pollution is increasing at an exponential rate across the globe. Every nation is struggling to have strong control over the rise in pollution. Many countries are even successful in this regard, but only up to a certain extent; also, a lot of capital investment is required just to make arrangements for making and taking care of dedicated dump yards. An alternative approach in this regard could be using the unwanted wastes in some constructive works by recycling them. Novel strategies and dedicated cells for the research and development regarding the recycling of various kinds of wastes are continuously being developed by various nations.Design/methodology/approachThis study attempts to make a hybrid composite of AA6101 alloy through the friction stir process (FSP) technique in which waste eggshells and SiC have been used as reinforcement particles. As the densities of eggshells, SiC show different values of densities to make them a single entity, they were subjected to ball milling for around 75 h. After ball milling, the reinforcement particles (eggshells and SiC) were distributed uniformly in the metal matrix (Al), and they appear as a single entity in the metal matrix composite.FindingsThe main objective of this study is to obtain an enhanced value of tensile strength of the final composite. Concerning this, the parameters of FSP, i.e. rotational speed and transverse speed, have been optimized through the Box–Behnken design approach. The optimized values of FSP parameters came out to be as 935.92 rpm of rotational speed and 22.48 mm/min as transverse speed value.Originality/valueThe results showed that the tensile strength and hardness of the composite developed at an optimum combination of FSP parameters enhanced by about 47.14 and 45.45%, respectively.

Addition of Beryl Content to Aluminum 2024 Alloy Influencing the Slide Wear and Friction Characteristics

The metal matrix composites (MMCs) especially aluminum-based composites have made greater impact in automobile and aerospace industries in view of possessing inherent properties, such as lower density, higher stiffness, good wear resistance and reduced friction levels. These are achieved through the introduction of different types of reinforcements/fillers in the matrix to achieve tailor-made properties. The various ceramic reinforcements like alumina, silicon carbide, zirconia, graphite, molybdenum di-sulfide, fly ash, etc., have contributed to the enhancement in the properties. For example, the graphite addition to a matrix improves the wear resistance and lowers the friction levels because of its self-lubricity effect. The adoption of other types of reinforcements/fillers such as silicon carbide, silica, alumina, Beryl, and aluminide in the matrix has yielded higher hardness and lower wear losses. A lot of efforts have gone in by various researchers to prove the beneficial effect of adding Beryl particles at different levels to the aluminum matrix, and the results are quite encouraging. In this context, the tribological response of MMCs consisting of aluminum 2024 (Al2024) matrix together with Beryl particles as reinforcements produced by stir casting technique has been studied in detail as Beryl is a hard substance and favors wear resistance and coefficient of friction. The wear and friction tests have been conducted using a Pin-On-Disc (POD) test setup, and the load employed is in the range 49 to 136 N with a sliding speed of 320 rpm. The information on this is infrequent to come across especially the aspect of the higher load applications in POD. Further, the worn-out surface features due to the sliding action have been examined and assessed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Recourse of supporting tests such as X-ray diffraction, hardness, noting of surface roughness and light microscopy has been resorted to substantiate the results. It is observed from the data there is a drop in wear loss of about 1.8 to 2.2 times and coefficient of friction reduced by about 1.25 to 1.3 times in comparison of A0 and A6 samples. Based on this work, a good correlation has emerged among the load applied, the sliding speed and its distance employed and the type and content of reinforcement adopted in the aluminum matrix.

Recent progress in aluminum metal matrix composites: A review on processing, mechanical and wear properties

Abstract The necessity for high performance and low-cost materials caused the researchers worldwide to switch the focus from monolithic to composite materials. In the recent pasts, a significant effort has been made in this direction to fabricate numerous combinations of metal matrix composites. Among the MMCs, aluminum-based composites are treated as the most promising structural materials due to their high corrosion, wear resistance, specific modulus, and weight for automobile and aerospace applications. Aluminum MMCs were produced by various fabrication process after considering different reinforcement particles, such as borides, carbides, oxides, nitrides, and their combinations. Aluminum MMCs revealed excellent mechanical and wear characteristics owing to the formation of stable reinforcement particles in the composites. In the present review article, recent advances in processing, microstructure, wear, and mechanical characterization of aluminum composites reinforced with different particles are addressed. The future scope of these composites is also briefly discussed at the end of the manuscript.

EFFECT OF TIO2 PARTICLES ON THE MECHANICAL AND MICROSTRUCTURAL EVOLUTION OF HYBRID ALUMINUM-BASED COMPOSITES FABRICATED BY WARB

In this study, the effect of powder particle contents on the mechanical properties of aluminum-based hybrid composites produced by warm accumulative roll bonding (WARB) process was investigated. Three hybrid composite groups with fully annealed AA1060 strips, 1[Formula: see text]wt.% of MnO2 and 0, 7.5 and 15[Formula: see text]wt.% of TiO2 were first roll-bonded and then the ARB process continued up to eight rolling cycles. In the WARB process, the samples were preheated at 300∘C for 5[Formula: see text]min before each rolling cycle. It was realized that increasing the number of ARB cycles with 0 and 7.5[Formula: see text]wt.% of TiO2 particles improved the uniformity of TiO2 particles distribution in the aluminum matrix. Also, in samples with high contents of TiO2 particles (15%), TiO2 clusters converted into small clusters with a better distribution through the aluminum matrix. Also, by increasing the number of cycles and TiO2 wt.% up to 15%, the tensile strength, elongation, tensile toughness and average Vickers microhardness of hybrid composites were increased first and decreased then. Moreover, the effects of ARB cycles and TiO2[Formula: see text]wt.% on the fracture surface of hybrid composites have been studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that all the samples fabricated with one and two ARB cycles exhibited a typical ductile fracture containing deep dimples, whereas by increasing the TiO2[Formula: see text]wt.% and ARB cycles, a combination of ductile and shear ductile fracture have been detected in the fracture behavior.

Producción de acero 1006 compuesto de base de aluminio reforzado con alambre por soldadura explosiva

Los compuestos de base de aluminio se fabrican utilizando una variedad de métodos, como laminado en caliente, pulvimetalurgia y soldadura explosiva. La soldadura explosiva es uno de los métodos más nuevos de producción de compuestos de base de aluminio. En este estudio, las placas de aluminio fueron reforzadas con alambres de acero a través de la soldadura explosiva. Utilizando la simulación numérica y la ventana de soldabi­lidad se determinaron los parámetros apropiados. Los resultados se verificaron utilizando datos experimentales, las muestras se evaluaron con un microscopio óptico. Los estudios de metalografía mostraron que el compuesto que se obtuvo tiene una excelente calidad de unión de la interfaz sin grietas. La ventana de soldabilidad y los resultados de la simulación coincidieron muy bien con los datos experimentales.

Experimental investigations of A359/Si3N4 surface composite produced by multi-pass friction stir processing

Lightweight and high strength materials are the primary requirements in the field of defense like in aircraft structures and aerospace applications. In this context, aluminum-based composites are one of the suitable choices because of its improved characteristics. In the present work, an attempt is made to develop aluminum (A359) based surface composites by incorporating the Si3N4 particles through friction stir processing (FSP). The numbers of FSP tool passes (single, two and three) are considered as variable parameters to evaluate its effect on various characteristics. The microstructural examination has been carried out by optical microscope and surface morphological analysis was done by scanning electron microscopy images. EDS with mapping images are used to observe the phase distribution and to identify the elements of the alloying and reinforcement materials. The elemental presences are also validated by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Further, mechanical properties like tensile test supported by fracture analysis and Rockwell hardness profile of the FSP zone are also discussed. In addition to it, the present work also an emphasis on the effect of the number of FSP tool passes on its wear resistance and thermal expansion. The results revealed that the value of maximum tensile strength and hardness were found to be 576 MPa and 125 HRB respectively in single pass FSPed composite. However, if the number of passes is increased then the maximum wear loss (11.7 × 10−3 g), maximum expansion due to heat (9 mm3) is observed at three-pass of FSP tool.

Impact of alumina content and morphology on the mechanical properties of bulk nanolaminated Al2O3-Al composites

Aluminum-based composites made by powder metallurgy often include a nontrivial amount of alumina whose effect is mostly neglected or insufficiently discussed as compared to the primary reinforcing agent. In this study, by controlling the composite processing atmosphere, we systematically studied the impact of alumina content and morphology (particularly the aspect ratio) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of bulk nanolaminated Al2O3–Al composites. It was found that, even with full-glovebox control over the entire powder metallurgy-based fabrication process, there was still approximately 1 wt% oxygen in the as-fabricated composite. However, the processing atmosphere profoundly affected the microstructure and the size and morphology of the alumina reinforcement in the aluminum matrix, and subsequently the mechanical behavior of the composites. These observations were interpreted by the alumina load-sharing through the shear-lag mechanism in samples with large alumina aspect ratios and the combined effect of the Orowan-typed mechanism in samples with small aspect ratios.

Characterization of the structure and properties of processed alumina-graphene and alumina-zirconia composites

The onset of hybrid alumina-based composites, which combines two or more nano-particles within the alumina matrix has already shown promising improvements in the matrix material. However, variations in mechanical properties including the optimum compositions that give improved properties faced with the development of alumina-based composites require further studies to understand the underlying mechanisms and synergistic effects of the nano-particle additions on the alumina matrix. In the current study, the structure and properties of Al₂O₃-graphene (0.5 wt%) and Al₂O₃–ZrO₂ (4 wt% and 10 wt%) composites fabricated via hot-pressing was studied as a baseline for multiple combinations. Even though the addition of 10 wt%ZrO₂ resulted in a 23% reduction in the grain size of the alumina matrix, the 4 wt%ZrO₂ addition resulted in a 14% increase in grain size as compared to the parent alumina matrix. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that there was approximately 85% monoclinic (m-ZrO2) vs. 15% tetragonal (t-ZrO2) crystal structures in the A4ZrO₂ sample whilst the A10ZrO₂ had approximately 93% m-ZrO2 vs. 7% t-ZrO2. The high-volume fraction of the monoclinic crystal structures in the A10ZrO₂ accounts for the induced microcracks in the sample since the transition from the ductile-tetragonal to brittle-monoclinic is associated with the exertion of compressive stresses on the alumina matrix by the associated elastic volume expansion of m-ZrO2. Also, the addition of 0.5 wt%graphene resulted in about 37% reduction in the grain size of the alumina matrix, and approximately 10% increase in hardness as a result of the distribution of graphene along the grain boundaries of the parent alumina matrix, which restricts grain coalescence and growth during processing. Furthermore, an increase up to 115% and 164% were observed in the fracture toughness (KIC) with the inclusion of 0.5 wt%graphene and 10 wt%ZrO₂ respectively, which was primarily ascribed to the fine-grained microstructures and toughening mechanisms of the intergranular graphene and ZrO₂ particles.

Microstructural evolution, mechanical and nanoindentation studies of stir cast binary and ternary aluminium based composites

The superior qualities offered by aluminium matrix composites (AMC) over the years has made it a widely used material for the fabrication of various components in the engineering sector. The effect of silicon carbide and ferrotitanium particles addition on the properties of stir cast aluminium-based composite was investigated. Stir casting technique was employed to ensure homogeneous dispersion of the reinforcement particles within the aluminium matrix. The microstructural, mechanical and tribological properties of the specimens were further assessed to determine the integrity of the fabricated composites. Results from microstructural examination showed a uniform dispersion of the reinforcement particles within the aluminium matrix. The reduced wear rate recorded by the composite reinforced with 5 wt% SiC +2 wt% TiFe resulted from the sliding of the stainless steel counterface over the oxide layers formed on the specimen surface. The specimen reinforced with 5 wt% TiFe +2 wt% SiC exhibited an enhanced tensile and nanomechanical properties, while the binary composite system with 5 wt% TiFe reinforcement had its wear resistance and modulus of elasticity improved.

On the Analysis of High-Temperature Mechanical Properties and Dry Sliding Tribological Behavior of Ultra-Fine Grained Boron Carbide-Reinforced Al5083-Based Trimodal Composites

Numerous research studies have been done on ultra-fine grained (UFG) aluminum and aluminum-based composites materials due to their higher tensile strength in comparison with coarse-grained (CG) bulks. However, the relationship between the mechanical behavior and dry sliding wear performance of ultra-fine grained Al5083-based boron carbide-reinforced trimodal composite bulks at room and high temperatures have been neglected. Furthermore, the effect of temperature rise on these properties seems critical since these materials have been used in several working and operating conditions. In the present paper, it is intended to study the impact of temperature rise on the mechanical behavior and wear resistance of ultra-fine grained Al5083-5wt%B4C trimodal composite bulks. Results revealed that increasing the temperature to 200 °C, did not have any significant effect on the hardness and strength of the Al5083-5wt%B4C bulk. However, significant changes occurred in the hardness and wear resistance of the composite samples by adding Al5083 coarse grains. In this case, severe plastic deformation and surface damage occurred in the Al5083-5wt%B4C-50%CG sample and the wear rate reached 9.7 × 10–7(mm3/m–N).

Effect of single wall carbon nanotubes on strength properties of aluminum composite produced by spark plasma sintering and extrusion

Aluminum composite material reinforced by single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) was made by spark plasma sintering (SPS) followed by extrusion directly on spark plasma sintering machine. For the first time it was possible to carry out not only sintering by SPS method, but also extrusion of aluminum-based composites with SWCNT additives directly on the Labox 1575. The effect of the degree of cold deformation and annealing on the strength of aluminum containing SWCNT is studied. It was found that there is an optimal degree of cold deformation, providing maximum growth of strength of aluminum composites reinforced by SWCNT. It was shown that composites extruded at elevated temperature had more significant strength decrease after annealing. Nevertheless, these composites have the highest strength values. The increase in ultimate tensile strength and yield strength of aluminum due to SWCNT additives was 47% and 158%, respectively.

Characterization of microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion response of aluminium-based composites fabricated via casting—a review

Despite the desirable properties possessed by aluminium, the development of aluminium matrix composite (AMC) has been useful in solving challenges arising from the selection of appropriate materials for most advanced engineering applications. Most of these challenges are resolved through the introduction of second- and/or third-phase particles into the matrix of aluminium. Conventional reinforcements, which include agro-based waste, nitrides, borides and carbides of some specific metals, were observed to improve the microstructural, mechanical and corrosion properties of AMCs fabricated through several casting techniques. The performance exhibited by these AMCs is, however, dependent on the processing technique utilized during the addition of the reinforcement to the matrix of aluminium. This paper attempts to review various fabrication routes, effects of different reinforcements, general properties and application of aluminium matrix composites in several industries.