Triple Particle Size Research Articles

Taguchi Assessment On The Effects Of Heat Treatment Variable On The Hardness And Tensile Strength Of Silicon Carbide Reinforced A357 Hybrid Composites

<p>The present study aims to develop stir cast A357 composite reinforced with triple particle size silicon carbide and graphite. Using Taguchi’s L9 orthogonal array, the influence of heat treatment parameters on mechanical characteristics of A357 reinforced with triple-size silicon carbide and graphite particles was investigated. Tensile strength and hardness were the core mechanical properties investigated for the composites. Taguchi’s observational design was used to determine the effect of solutionising temperature, soaking time, ageing temperature, and ageing time on tensile strength and hardness. The homogeneous dispersion of silicon carbide particles in A357 matrix can be observed using an optical microscope. The results showed solutionising temperature has the most favourable effect for both tensile strength and hardness followed by ageing time, soaking time, and ageing temperature.</p>

Experimental Investigation of Physical and Mechanical Properties of Al-Cu-ZrO<sub>2</sub>-TiO<sub>2 </sub>Composites

Composite Materials plays a vital role in the formation of mankind, ranging from the habitation of early civilisation to enable future modernisation. In this present work titania and zirconia reinforced Al6063-Cu composite has been developed by using a new casting process comprising of clay soil and sand mold. On top of that stirrer mechanism has also been used to mix the hybrid abrasive particles of Single Particle Size (SPS), Double Particle Size (DSP) and Triple Particle Size (TPS) in the Al-Cu alloy which is a completely new approach. Taguchi L18 orthogonal arrays have been used in this study to reduce the number of tests. For this present research work, 5%, 7.5% and 10% of hybrid abrasive have been mixed in the alloy to investigate its different properties like elastic modulus, ductility and density. It has been observed that in addition of the reinforcements in the newly developed composites elastic modulus, ductility and density have been improved to 31.42%, 40% and 19.81% respectively. Due to this improved properties this composite can be used to manufacture bearing, valve, aircraft electronics and many other appliances. The experimental results were analyzed by the SN ratio plot and an RSM model was used to predict these properties and to estimate the affecting factors for each property. Further, the RSM models have been corroborated by performing the experiments on the newly manufactured composites for elastic modulus, ductility and density. The result obtained from RSM model shows good similarity with the experimental results.

Rapid tooling through micro additive manufacturing with reinforcement of SiC/Al2O3 in LDPE domestic waste

ABSTRACT This paper reports the in-house development of rapid tooling (RT) through micro additive manufacturing (MAM) with reinforcement of SiC/Al2O3 in primary-recycled low-density polyethylene (LDPE) domestic waste. The reinforcement in recycled LDPE was made in different particulate sizes (µm), namely, single particle size (SPS)/double particle size (DPS)/triple particle size (TPS) and in different weight proportions. The best combinations based upon wear and thermal stability were selected and used for filament wire preparation with twin-screw extruder (TSE). The cylindrical pins as RT reinforced with SiC/Al2O3 were 3D printed on fused deposition modelling (FDM) setup for grinding applications. The outcome of the study highlights that SiC-TPS reinforcement in recycled LDPE matrix resulted in improved wear characteristics of RT prepared as MAM. Further thermographs based upon differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were plotted to ensure the thermal stability of RT prepared through MAM.

Investigations for Wear Characteristics of Aluminium-Based Metal Matrix Composite Prepared by Hybrid Reinforcement

In this study, an attempt has been made to investigate the wear characteristics of aluminium (Al) 6063 alloy reinforced with Al2O3/SiC/Al2O3 + SiC particles of double particle size (DPS) and triple particle size (TPS). The hybrid Al-metal matrix composites (MMC’s) were prepared by using a synergistic combination of fused deposition modeling and V-process assisted stir casting and wear performance was examined on pin-on disc tester. The outcome of this study reveals that DPS-based Al-MMC’s with hybrid reinforcement of Al2O3 and SiC exhibit better wear characteristic. In this case study, overall 6% improvement in wear resistance was observed at proposed parametric settings. The results have been supported by photomicrographs, which confirmed the presence of Al2O3 and SiC contributing towards the improved wear property of the hybrid Al-MMC’s.

On SiC/Al2O3 reinforced HDPE 3D printed rapid tooling

This work reports the in-house fabrication of SiC/Al2O3 reinforced rapid tooling (RT) using feed stock filament prepared by single screw extrusion for fused deposition modelling (FDM) platform. The current investigation focuses on preparation of high density polyethylene (HDPE) matrix reinforced with single particle size, dual particle size and triple particle size for RT applications. The study suggests that triple particle size of Al2O3 is best alternative among single, double and triple particle size of reinforcement for preparation of RT. Also the study highlights that the infill density (ID) plays significant and most important input processing parameter for preparation of RT comprising of HDPE composite matrix from dimensional accuracy and hardness view point. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) study suggested us that the RT prepared with HDPE composite matrix is thermally stable.

On wear of 3D printed Al2O3 reinforced Nylon6 matrix based functional prototypes

The use of fused deposition modelling (FDM) based functional prototypes for wear resistance applications is presently limited mainly because of selective material availability of filament materials. Various research groups have reinforced several fillers in thermoplastic base to prepare feedstock filaments to improve the mechanical properties and to address the reusability issue of polymeric waste. But hitherto the effect of Al2O3 particle sizes (as single, dual and triple particle size as reinforcement) in Nylon6 thermoplastic blend has been less explored. In the present investigation an effort has been made to prepare feed stock filament for 3D printing application to explore its wear resistant properties. The current investigation suggested that dual particle size reinforced pin exhibit better wear properties followed by triple and single particle reinforced pins. The wear tracks obtained in this study shows that dual particle size based composite material is highly wear resistant as compared to virgin acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)/ Nylon6. The results have been supported by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of prepared pins for wear testing.

Investigations for machinability of primary recycled thermoplastics with secondary recycled rapid tooling

This paper highlights the machinability of primary recycled thermoplastics as workpiece (WP) material with secondary recycled (reinforced) thermoplastic composites as rapid tooling (RT). Both WP and RT have been 3D printed on commercial fused deposition modelling. For investigating machinability of primary recycled thermoplastics, un-reinforced WP of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) has been selected. The RT materials were secondary reinforced (recycled) LDPE with double particle size Al2O3 particles and HDPE with triple particle size Al2O3. The machinability has been calculated in terms of weight loss of WP, while machining on a vertical milling set-up. This study also reports the surface hardness, porosity, surface roughness (Ra) and photomicrographic observations of WP and RT under controlled machining conditions. Further thermal analysis suggests that primary recycled thermoplastic can be successfully machined with secondary recycled RT, resulting in improved thermal stability and surface properties.

Investigations for tool life of 3D printed HDPE and LDPE composite based rapid tooling for thermoplastics machining applications

This paper highlights the tool life of Al2O3 reinforced thermoplastic composites for rapid tooling (RT) applications. The RT have been 3D printed with fused deposition modelling (FDM) by using recycled low-density polyethylene (LDPE) reinforced with double particle size (DPS) Al2O3 and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) reinforced with triple particle size (TPS) Al2O3. The tool life has been calculated in terms of weight loss of RT while milling operation. The study also reports effect of machining conditions on surface hardness, porosity, thermal stability and microstructure of RT as a case study. The results of study suggest that the machined zones prepared with RT are more thermally stable.

Investigations for Surface Hardness of Aluminum Matrix Composites with Hybrid Reinforcement

This work focuses on the investigations of hybrid reinforcement of SiC/Al2O3 as dual particle size and triple particle size (TPS) on the surface hardness of hybrid aluminum matrix composite (AMC) prepared with synergistic combination of fused deposition modeling, vacuum molding (V) process and stir casting. It was observed that TPS-based SiC resulted into highest microhardness of 45HV. Further, ANOVA revealed that the percentage contribution of particle size and type of reinforcement on surface hardness of AMC were 27.30% and 48.72%, respectively. The best parametric setting (of input parameters) for microhardness is: particle size—TPS, type of reinforcement—SiC, vacuum pressure—350 mm of Hg, sand grain size—70 (AFS no.), vibration time—4 s. and composition/proportion of reinforcement in Al matrix—10%, respectively, and overall, 5.1% improvement in microhardness was observed at proposed parametric setting. The presence of Al2O3/SiC responsible for the improvement in microhardness was supported by photomicrographs.

Multifactor optimization of FDM process parameters for development of rapid tooling using SiC/Al2O3-reinforced LDPE filament

In this work, multifactor optimization of fused deposition modeling (FDM) process parameters has been reported for in-house prepared feedstock filament comprising of SiC/Al2O3 reinforced in recycled low-density polyethylene (LDPE) matrix with different particle sizes (i.e. single particle size (SPS), double particle size (DPS), and triple particle size (TPS) in different proportions). This study has been conducted on Al2O3-based DPS reinforcement in LDPE, which came out as a better solution during pilot experimentation in comparison to SPS, TPS, and SiC reinforcement, for printing of functional prototypes as rapid tooling (RT). The result of study suggests that infill angle in the FDM process is the most significant process parameter (contributing around 93%) for preparation of RT as regards dimensional accuracy and hardness is concerned. The RT so prepared is thermally stable as evident from differential scanning calorimetry analysis. Further, the photomicrographs observed in different planes suggest that, at the proposed settings, RT has a uniform distribution of reinforcement in LDPE matrix and can be gainfully used in light machining applications.

Effect of SiC/Al2O3 particle size reinforcement in recycled LDPE matrix on mechanical properties of FDM feed stock filament

ABSTRACTIn this research work, an effort has been made to develop fused deposition modelling (FDM), feed stock filament wire from recycled low-density polyethylene (LDPE) with different particle sizes (i.e. single particle size (SPS), double particle size (DPS) and triple particle size (TPS) in different proportions) of SiC/Al2O3 as reinforcement. After evaluation of melt flow index (MFI), the best combinations were selected and used for filament wire preparation on twin screw extruder. The results of the study highlight that Al2O3-based DPS reinforcement resulted in better mechanical properties of the feed stock filament. Finally, the non-functional prototypes have been printed with feed stock filament prepared on open-source FDM. The Al2O3-based DPS reinforcement in LDPE resulted in better dimensional stability with improved surface hardness. The results have been supported by SEM-based photomicrographs and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).

Effect of single particle size, double particle size and triple particle size Al2O3 in Nylon-6 matrix on mechanical properties of feed stock filament for FDM

Fused Deposition modelling (FDM) is one of the additive manufacturing (AM) technologies used extensively for modelling and prototyping applications. In commercial FDM setup, filament wire is uncoiled from wire spools and plastic based material is supplied to produce the part. The application area of FDM is limited presently due to selective material availability in market. Some researchers have highlighted the use of reinforced composite wires as FDM filament. But hitherto no work has been reported on the effect of Single particle size (SPS), Dual particle size (DPS), Triple particle size (TPS) of Al2O3 (as reinforcement) in Nylon-6 matrix to be used as feed stock filament for FDM. In this paper, effect of SPS, DPS, and TPS of Al2O3 (as reinforcement) in Nylon-6 matrix on mechanical properties (like: percent age elongation, tensile strength, yield strength, Young's modulus) has been studied. Further, empirical relations have been developed for above mentioned properties and a surface characteristic of developed wires has been observed with SEM image.

Some Investigations on Effect of Cooling Rate on Al2O3 Reinforced Al-MMC Prepared by Vacuum Moulding

In the present research work effort has been made to study the effect of cooling rate of Al2O3 reinforced; aluminum metal matrix composites (Al-MMC) on hardness of component prepared by vacuum moulding (VM) process. The study started with selection of the component for industrial application. This study also highlights the effect of reinforcement in form of double particle size and triple particle size on hardness of Al–Al2O3 MMC. The input parameters of process are composition of MMC, vacuum moulding silica sand AFS No., vacuum pressure and component volume. The results of study supported by microstructure analysis suggest the geometric model for MMC hardness prepared by VM process.

Effect of Single, Double and Triple Particle Size SiC and Al2O3 Reinforcement on Wear Properties of AMC Prepared by Stir Casting in Vacuum Mould

The aim of present research work is to study the effect of single particle size (SPS), dual particle size (DPS) and triple particle size (TPS) of SiC and Al2O3 reinforcement as hybrid solute on wear properties of aluminium matrix composite (AMC) prepared by stir casting in vacuum mould. The ABS plastic based master pattern (prepared with fused deposition modelling setup) for vacuum mould has been used in the present study. The friction and wear tests were carried out using a pin-on-disc type tribo-test machine under dry sliding condition. The results of study suggest that SPS based AMC exhibited better wear resistant properties as compared to DPS and TPS. The study also highlights the effect of other controllable process parameters of vacuum moulding process (namely: vacuum pressure, sand grain size and proportion of solutes) on wear behavior of AMC.

Aluminium Metal Matrix Composite: Improving Wear Performance through Treatment

The main objectives of the present study are to develop/manufacture SiC reinforced aluminium matrix composite (SiCp/AMC) with different reinforcement combinations using stir casting method and investigate the effects of heat treatment on wear performance. AMCs were prepared using 20 vol% SiC with three different reinforcement combinations into aluminum matrix. Stir casting is a primary process of composite production whereby the reinforcement ingredient material is incorporated into the molten metal by stirring. The reinforcement combination consists of 20% (single particle size), 7% and 13% (double particle size) and 5%, 5% and 10% (triple particle size). The triple particle size (TPS) composite consist of SiC of three different sizes viz., coarse, intermediate and fine. The solution heat treatment was carried out on cast specimens at 540 0C for four hours followed by precipitation treatment. The wear test was carried out using a pin-ondisc type tribo-test machine under dry sliding condition. The wear morphology of the damaged surface was also studied using optical microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM) in this investigation.

Wear behavior of as‐cast and heat treated triple particle size SiC reinforced aluminum metal matrix composites

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the wear behavior of as‐cast (AC) and heat treated (HT) triple particle size (TPS) silicon carbide (SiC) reinforced aluminum alloy‐based metal matrix composites (SiCp/Al‐MMC).Design/methodology/approachAl‐MMCs were prepared using 20 vol.% SiC reinforcement into aluminum metal matrix and developed using a stir casting process. Stir casting is a primary process of composite production whereby the reinforcement ingredient material is incorporated into the molten metal by stirring. The TPS composite consist of SiC of three different sizes viz., coarse, intermediate, and fine. The solution heat treatment was done on AC composite at 540°C for 4 h followed by precipitation treatment. The wear test was carried out using a pin‐on‐disc type tribo‐test machine under dry sliding condition. A mathematical analysis was also done for power factor values based on wear and friction results. The wear morphology of the damaged surface was also studied using optical microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM) in this investigation.FindingsThe test results showed that HT composite exhibited better wear resistance properties compared to AC composite. It is anticipated that heat treatment could be an effective method of optimizing the wear resistance properties of the developed Al‐MMC material.Practical implicationsThis paper provides a way to enhance the wear behavior of automotive tribo‐components such as brake rotor (disc and drum), brake pad, piston cylinder, etc.Originality/valueThis paper compares the wear behavior of AC and HT TPS reinforced Al‐MMC material under dry sliding condition.

Tribological behavior of dual and triple particle size SiC reinforced Al‐MMCs: a comparative study

PurposeThe aim is to study the tribological behavior of dual particle size (DPS) and triple particle size (TPS) SiC reinforced aluminum alloy‐based metal matrix composites – MMCs (Al/SiCp MMC).Design/methodology/approachAl‐MMCs with DPS and TPS of SiC were prepared using 20 wt% SiC and developed using stir‐casting process. The TPS composite consist of three different sizes of SiC and DPS composite consist of two different sizes of SiC. The tribological test was carried out using a pin‐on‐disc type tribo‐test machine under dry sliding condition.FindingsThe TPS composite exhibited better wear resistance properties compared to DPS composite. It is anticipated that when a composite is integrated with small, intermediate and large SiC particle sizes (which is known as TPS) within the same composite could be an effective method of optimizing the wear resistance properties of the developed material.Practical implicationsThis study provides a way to enhance the tribological behavior of automotive tribo‐components such as brake rotor, piston, cylinder, etc.Originality/valueThis investigation compares the tribological behavior of DPS and TPS SiC reinforced aluminum MMCs.