Weight Percentage Of Reinforcement Research Articles

The Effect of Reinforcement Weight Ratios on the Mechanical Properties of ZrO2/ Unsaturated Polyester Nanocomposites

This work aims to prepare ZrO2/ unsaturated polyester nanocomposites with reinforcement weight percentage ratios (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) wt.% and study the effect of this reinforcement weight ratio on some mechanical properties such as hardness, impact strength, and tensile strength. The used powder has a monoclinic structure, P2/m space group, and unit cell parameters a, b, and c = 5.313Å, 5.210 Å, and 5.145 Å, receptively, and angels α, γ = 90º and β= 99.233º according to XRD data and using Dicvol 91 indexing program. The grain size of the used powder was estimated using Scherrer’s equation to be 43.2 nm. The SEM micrograph of ZrO2 nanopowder showed the particle morphology having homogenous irregular grains and appears to be similar to a coral shape. The results of the hardness test showed that increasing the reinforcement weight ratio led to an increase in the hardness values. Impact, tensile, and flexural strength values increase with the reinforcement weight ratio and peaked at 6 wt. %, and decreased at a higher ratio.

Time-Dependent Evolution of Al-Al4C3 Composite Microstructure and Hardness during the Sintering Process.

In this study, Al-Al4C3 compounds were manufactured by mechanical milling followed by heat treatment. To analyze the microstructural evolution, the composites were sintered at 550 °C at different sintering times of 2, 4 and 6 h. The mechanical results suggest that dislocation density and crystallite size primarily contribute to hardening before the sintering process, with a minimal contribution from particle dispersion in this condition. The compound exhibited a significant 75% increase in hardness after 2 h of sintering, primarily attributed to the nucleation and growth of Al4C3 nanorods. The HRTEM analysis, combined with geometric phase analysis (GPA) at and near the Al-Al4C3 interface of the nanorods, revealed strain field distributions primarily associated with partial screw dislocations and the presence of closely spaced dislocation dipoles. These findings are consistent with the microstructural parameters determined from X-ray diffraction pattern analysis using the convolutional multiple whole profile (CMWP) method. This analysis showed that the predominant dislocation character is primarily of the screw type, with the dislocation dipoles being closely correlated. Based on these results, it is suggested that samples with a lower weight percentage of reinforcement and longer sintering times may experience reduced brittleness in Al/Al4C3 composites. Strengthening contributions were calculated using the Langford-Cohen and Taylor equations.

Development and wear resistivity performance of SiC and TiB2 particles reinforced novel aluminium matrix composites

The aerospace and automotive industries, in particular, rely heavily on aluminium matrix composites because of their exceptional strength-to-mass ratio and resistance to high temperatures. This study investigates the development and wear resistivity performance of Aluminium Matrix Composites (AMCs) reinforced with SiC and TiB2 particles. The experimental work involved fabricating AMCs using Aluminium Alloy 7075 as the matrix material with varying weight percentages of SiC and TiB2 reinforcements. Tribological tests were conducted under different conditions of applied load, sliding speed, and sliding distance to analyze the wear behavior of the composites. Results revealed that higher weight percentages of reinforcement led to lower wear rates, particularly at elevated sliding speeds. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the presence of SiC and TiB2 particles in the composites. It is observed that greater applied loads caused greater wear rates, bigger grooves, and substantial frictional heat production, demonstrating a direct relationship between load weight and wear performance. The study indicated that sticky wear management lowered wear rates at longer sliding distances not abrasive wear at shorter distances. The significance of this study lies in its contribution to optimizing the composition of multi-phase reinforced AMCs for enhanced wear resistance in various industrial applications.

Enhancing wear resistance, mechanical properties of composite materials through sisal and glass fiber reinforcement with epoxy resin and graphite filler

This study investigates the mechanical and wears properties of sisal and glass fiber-reinforced epoxy composites with graphite as filler material. We assessed the mechanical properties of the hand-layup-fabricated composite materials, including hardness, tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact strength, by ASTM standards. We also performed wear evaluations using a pin-on-disc apparatus. The results showed that the weight fractions of sisal fiber, glass fiber, graphite, and epoxy resin significantly affected the mechanical properties of the composites. In contrast to composites reinforced with individual fibers, hybrid composites exhibited enhanced mechanical properties. The optimized compositions showed improvements in tensile, flexural, impact, and hardness properties. The wear analysis revealed that a variety of factors, including the weight percentage of reinforcement, sliding velocity, load, and sliding distance, had an impact on the composites' wear resistance. The SEM images provided significant insights into the composite material's micro structural characteristics and failure mechanisms. In general, this research showcases the potential of graphite filler-reinforced sisal and glass fiber epoxy composites for use in applications that demand exceptional abrasion resistance and mechanical strength. Further refinement of the composition and processing methodologies could lead to the development of composites tailored to specific application demands.

Optimization of Dry Sliding Wear in Hot-Pressed Al/B4C Metal Matrix Composites Using Taguchi Method and ANN.

The presented study investigates the effects of weight percentages of boron carbide reinforcement on the wear properties of aluminum alloy composites. Composites were fabricated via ball milling and the hot extrusion process. During the fabrication of composites, B4C content was varied (0, 5, and 10 wt.%), as well as milling time (0, 10, and 20 h). Microstructural observations with SEM microscopy showed that with an increase in milling time, the distribution of B4C particles is more homogeneous without agglomerates, and that an increase in wt.% of B4C results in a more uniform distribution with distinct grain boundaries. Taguchi and ANOVA analyses are applied in order to investigate how parameters like particle content of B4C, normal load, and milling time affect the wear properties of AA2024-based composites. The ANOVA results showed that the most influential parameters on wear loss and coefficient of friction were the content of B4C with 51.35% and the normal load with 45.54%, respectively. An artificial neural network was applied for the prediction of wear loss and the coefficient of friction. Two separate networks were developed, both having an architecture of 3-10-1 and a tansig activation function. By comparing the predicted values with the experimental data, it was demonstrated that the well-trained feed-forward-back propagation ANN model is a powerful tool for predicting the wear behavior of Al2024-B4C composites. The developed models can be used for predicting the properties of Al2024-B4C composite powders produced with different reinforcement ratios and milling times.

Evaluation of the tensile strength and impact property of polyamide/short glass fibre-multi-walled carbon nanotube composites: an experimental study based on response surface method

The tensile strength, impact property and thermal stability of polyamide 6 (PA6) reinforced with carboxylic acid-functionalised multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with 1 and 2 wt.%, and short glass fibre (SGF) with 10 and 20 wt.%, were investigated. The morphological properties were examined by SEM. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was also carried out to explore the thermal stability and crystallinity of nanocomposites. For determining the optimal weight percentage of reinforcements, the response surface methodology (RSM) was used. The effect of nanotubes and weight percentages of fibre on the tensile and impact properties was investigated by analysis of variance. The results indicated that the incorporation of MWCNTs to PA6 increased the tensile and impact strength of the matrix by 16% and 24%, respectively. Also, the addition of SGFs to polyamide improved the mechanical properties. The results also showed that the nanocomposite containing 1 wt.% MWCNTs and 20 wt.% SGFs had the highest properties (66% increase for tensile and 81% increase for impact strength compared to neat PA6). The DSC results confirmed the effect of reinforcements on thermal characteristics of nanocomposites. The validation of output models of responses implies the ability of models to predict the tensile and impact behaviour of composites.

Optimization of porosity behavior of hybrid reinforced titanium metal matrix composite through RSM, ANN, and GA for multi-objective parameters

Titanium matrix composites (TMCs) have high specific strength and stiffness, and high-temperature TMCs can reduce weight by up to 50% when compared with monolithic super alloys while preserving equal stiffness and strength in jet engine systems for propulsion. The purpose of this work examines the use of mathematical models and learning approaches to optimize response such as porosity and control variables in synthesized hybrid titanium metal matrix composites (HTMMCs) reinforced by B4C-SiC-MoS2-ZrO2. To further understand the impacts of process factors on porosity reduction, the study employs methodologies such as the response surface methodology (RSM), integrated artificial neural networks (ANN), and genetic algorithm (GA). The findings indicate that these strategies have the potential to contribute to the industry. The optimal combination of 7.5wt.% SiC, 7.5wt.% B4C, 7.5wt.% ZrO2, 4wt.% MoS2, and 73.5wt.% Ti compositions was determined utilizing process factors such as milling period (6h), compaction pressure (50MPa), compact duration (50min), sintering temperature (1200°C), and sintering time (2h) as compared to pure Ti grade 5. The mechanical properties of the optimum combination of reinforcement weight percentage and process parameters resulted in a minimum porosity of 0.118%, density of 4.36gcm3, and micro-hardness of 63.4HRC boosted by 1.76%, and compressive strength of 2500MPa increased by 2.6%. In addition, these HTMMCs had a minimal wear rate of 0.176mm3/Nm and a corrosion resistance rate of 2.15×10-4mmpy. The investigation result analysis discovered that the RSM and combined ANN-GA models considerably enhanced the forecasting of multidimensional interaction difficulties in composite material production that were highly statistically connected, with R2 values of 0.9552 and 0.97984. The ANN-GA model provided a 95% confidence range for porosity predictions, which increased the production use of titanium-based particle composites. Furthermore, HMMCs can be utilized in the automotive and aviation industries with enhanced corrosion and wear resistance.

Mechanical Properties and Analysis of Two-body Abrasive Wear Behaviour of Graphene Modified Carbon/Epoxy Composites Using Taguchi’s Technique

The present work emphasizes the effect of graphene nanoplatelets (G) filler loading on mechanical and abrasive wear behavior of carbon fibre reinforced epoxy (C/E) composites. Graphene nanoplatelets were mixed with epoxy framework using a temperature-controlled magnetic stirrer and then ultrasonically treated. The parameters considered for the abrasive wear study are the applied load in N (5, 10 and 15), abrading distance in m (75, 150, and 225) and weight percentage of reinforcement (0, 1, and 1.5). The incorporation of 1 wt. % G into C/E composites increases hardness by 14 % and interlaminar laminar strength by 19 % when compared to C/E composites. According to the Taguchi design of tests, a filler loading of 1 wt. % G, an abrading distance of 225 m, and an applied load of 15 N are ideal. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was done to establish the dominant parameter, and the filler loading with abrading distance was shown to be significant. With 36.4 %, the filler loading had the biggest influence on the composite specific wear rate. The combination of filler loading with 1 wt. %, load of 15 N, and abrading distance of 225 m yields the lowest specific wear rate. The involved wear mechanisms during the abrasive wear process have also been explained with scanning electron micrographs.

Multiobjective optimization of process parameters of AZ91D/AgNPs/TiO2 composite fabricated by friction stir processing using response surface methodology and desirability

PurposeThis paper aims to determine the optimum parametric settings for yielding superior mechanical properties, namely, ultimate tensile strength (UTS), yield strength (YS) and percentage elongation (EL) of AZ91D/AgNPs/TiO2 hybrid composite fabricated by friction stir processing.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical model has been developed to govern crucial influencing parameters, namely, rotation speed (RS), tool transverse speed (TS), number of passes (NPS) and reinforcement fraction (RF) or weight percentage. Box Behnken design (BBD) with four input parameters and three levels of each parameter was used to design the experimental work, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to check the acceptability of the developed model. Desirability function analysis (DFA) for a multiresponse optimization approach is integrated with response surface methodology (RSM). The individual desirability index (IDI) was calculated for each response, and a composite desirability index (CDI) was obtained. The optimal parametric settings were determined based on maximum CDI values. A confirmation test is also performed to compare the actual and predicted values of responses.FindingsThe relationship between input parameters and output responses (UTS, YS, and EL) was investigated using the Box-Behnken design (BBD). Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and nano-sized titanium dioxide (TiO2) enhanced the ultimate tensile strength and yield strength. It was observed that the inclusion of AgNPs led to an increase in ductility, while the increase in the weight fraction of TiO2 resulted in a decrease in ductility.Practical implicationsAZ91D/AgNPs/TiO2 hybrid composite finds enormous applications in biomedical implants, aerospace, sports and aerospace industries, especially where lightweight materials with high strength are critical.Originality/valueIn terms of optimum value through desirability, the experimental trials yield the following results: maximum value of UTS (318.369 MPa), maximum value of YS (200.120 MPa) and EL (7.610) at 1,021 rpm of RS, 70 mm/min of TS, 4 NPS and level 3 of RF.

Characterization of Water Absorption, Thickness Swelling and Diffusion Coefficient of Natural Fiber/Epoxy Bio-Composites for Applications in Aquatic Environment

The aim of this work was to study the suitability of wood flour, fluted pumpkin stem and rice husk flour/epoxy bio-composites for application in aquatic environment. The water absorption, thickness swelling and diffusion coefficient of wood flour, fluted pumpkin stem flour, rice husk flour/epoxy bio-composites were investigated. Composites were prepared by the hand layup method at varying weight percentages of filler reinforcement (10, 20 & 30%). The increase in the addition of the fillers enhanced the water absorption, thickness swelling and diffusion coefficient of the composites. However, after 14 days of immersion, all the composites attained an equilibrium state. It was observed that with 30wt% filler loading, the fluted pumpkin stem flour epoxy composites showed the highest water absorption of 40.5%, diffusion coefficient of 10.80x10-8m2/s, followed by the wood flour epoxy composite with water absorption of 35.3%, diffusion coefficient of 8.17x10-8m2/s, while rice husk flour epoxy composites had the lowest water absorption of 16.5%, diffusion coefficient of 6.12x10-8m2/s. The same trend was observed for the composites with 20 and 10 wt% filler loading. In terms of thickness swelling, the wood flour composite showed 1.62%, followed by fluted pumpkin stem flour composite 1.40% and rice husk flour composite 0.35% with 30wt% filler loading. A similar trend was observed for the composites with 20 and 10wt% filler loading. This study can be useful to comprehend the effect of water absorption on the performance of natural fiber composites and help in creating designer compositions for use in building, construction and automotive.

Wear parametric Optimization of FSW parameters on Al Alloy Using MLP technique

The purpose of this study was to identify the suitable Friction Stir Welding (FSW) parameters that would be used for welding scrapped Al alloy plates. On the experimental side, the study used four Factor Three-Level Full Factorial Design of Experiments (DoE) approach. Some of the input parameters incorporated in the analysis were the applied load, the sliding speed, displacement and weight percentage of Al2O3 reinforcement, and some of the output parameters were the specific wear rate and the coefficient of friction. The above said optimum parameters were established using the Minitab software while the above said experimental results was estimated using multilayer perceptron of the feed forward 4–10–1 network. For the actual test data set in the given experiment, the overall performance of the MLP predictions resulted to an R2. This results to a coefficient of determination (R R2 of 0.98474 and a mean squared error (MSE) of 0. 025075. Therefore the high R values, which are near to 1, show that the actual values mean and the predicted values mean are closely matched.

Fabrication and Characterization of a Stir Casting-Based Aluminium Hybrid MMC Reinforced with SiC, TiC, and MoS2

The need for strong, lightweight materials has prompted the creation of innovative metal matrix composites based on aluminum. The properties of metal matrix composites that are uniformly dispersed with nanoparticles are much superior to those of monolithic alloy and microparticle-reinforced composites. The objective of this work was to create and evaluate a metal matrix composite reinforced with MoS2, SiC, and TiC that is a hybrid aluminum alloy, Al6061. It was also investigated how the weight percentages (3, 6, 9, and 12%) of MoS2, SiC, and TiC reinforcement affected the mechanical, morphological, tribological, and physical characteristics of the metal matrix composite. The addition of SiC and MoS2 increased the density of the reinforced Al6061 composite when compared to as-cast non-reinforced Al6061. It was found that the hybrid composite Al6061/12% SiC/4% MoS2 had the maximum density. The hybrid metal matrix composite's toughness increased as the proportion of TiC weight increased. The composite made of Al6061, 12% TiC, and 4% MoS2 had the maximum hardness, measuring 114.03 HV. The composite Al6061/12% TiC/4% MoS2 has the most ultimate tensile strength. The tribology analysis revealed that when applied stress increased from 10 to 50 N, mass loss increased dramatically. Because of the solid MoS2 lubricant and the development of the TiC layer at the contact zone, Double- and triple-reinforced specimens had less wear loss than non-reinforced specimens, as shown by the wear performance of hybrid composites. The main wear mechanisms of the composites were delamination wear and wear debris.

AN INVESTIGATION ON THE MECHANICAL AND TRIBOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF AN ULTRASONIC-ASSISTED STIR CASTING AL-CU-MG MATRIX-BASED COMPOSITE REINFORCED WITH AGRO WASTE ASH PARTICLES

This research work reports the influence of 3-μm-sized Palm Sprout Shell Ash (PSSA) reinforcement on the mechanical and tribological behavior of the Al-Cu-Mg alloy. Composites of varying weight percentages of reinforcement ranging from 1 to 6 at intervals of 1 Wt.% were produced using the ultrasonic-assisted bottom-poured stir casting technique. Microstructural studies, mechanical testing, and wear properties analysis were performed on the alloy and the synthesized composites. The microstructure of the obtained samples was examined using Scanning Electron Microscope, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), and X- Ray Diffraction (XRD). The XRD patterns provided confirmation of the presence of PSSA (SiO2 and Al2O3) particles. The addition of PSSA reinforcement has significantly improved the hardness, tensile strength, and compression strength of composites. The hardness, ultimate tensile strength, and compression strength were improved by 13.89%, 24.04%, and 32.93%, respectively, with the 6 Wt.% PSSA-reinforced composite. However, the incorporation of reinforcement has resulted in a decrease in the ductility of the Al-Cu-Mg alloy composite; the maximum decrement of 42.87% was with the 6% PSSA-reinforced composite. Tests were conducted at different loads and speeds to evaluate the wear behavior of the prepared samples. Superior wear resistance was observed in the composites. The fracture and wear mechanisms of reinforced and unreinforced were observed using SEM.

Parametric optimization of wear parameters of hybrid composites (LM6/B4C/fly ash) using Taguchi technique

Wear is prominent in sliding components, so tribology property plays a major role in automotive as well as in the aerospace industries. In this work, Aluminium alloy LM6/B4C/Fly Ash hybrid composites with three different weight percentages of reinforcement were fabricated using the low-cost stir casting technique, and the experiments were conducted based on the Design of Experiments (DoE) approach and optimized using Taguchi’s Signal to noise ratio (S/N) analysis. The analysis was conducted with process parameters like Sliding Speed (S), Sliding distance (D), load (L) and reinforcement percentage (R %), the responses are Coefficient of Friction (COF) and Specific wear rate (SWR). Aluminum alloy reinforced with 9 wt% hybrid (LM6 + 4.5% B4C + 4.5% Fly Ash) has a low density and high hardness compared with other composites and base alloys. The optimum parameters for obtaining minimum SWR are S - 1 m/s, D - 500 m, L - 45 N, and R% - 6 wt% Hybrid (3% Fly ash and 3% boron carbide). The optimum parameters for obtaining minimum COF are S - 1.5 m/s, D - 500 m, L - 30 N, and R% −9 wt% Hybrid (4.5% Fly ash and 4.5% boron carbide). Load (28.34%) is the most significant parameter for obtaining minimum SWR, and DL (31.62%) for obtaining minimum COF. SEM images of the worn pins show the various wear mechanisms of the AMCs. The hybrid composite produced is new and these may be used for piston liner and brake pad applications.

Fabrication, characterization and optimal selection of aluminium alloy 8011 composites reinforced with B 4 C-aloe vera ash

The aim of this study is to determine the use of B 4 C along with AVA as economical reinforcements to improve the mechanical properties of aluminium alloy 8011. The purpose of this investigation is the development of cost-effective hybrid metal matrix composites. The present investigation assessed the mechanical characteristics of Al-8011 alloy, Al-8011/3AVA, Al-8011/4B 4 C, Al-8011/2.5B 4 C/2.5AVA, and Al-8011/3B 4 C/3AVA composites, which were manufactured through stir-casting techniques. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging with an energy-dispersive spectroscope (EDS) was performed on the fabricated composites to confirm the presence of reinforcements, and the images revealed a uniform distribution of reinforcements in the matrix. The density of the composite decreased with an increase in weight % of AVA-B 4 C in comparison with that of matrix aluminum alloy 8011. Results obtained for tensile strength and hardness exhibit the optimal results from adding 3 wt.% B 4 C with 3 wt.% AVA. The present paper also investigates the application of three multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) methodological approaches to select the best option.

Prediction of tribological performance of Cu-Gr-TiC composites based on response surface methodology and worn surface analysis

In the current study, the prediction of tribological performance of Cu-Gr-TiC composites and its correlation with surface topography has been studied. For this purpose, the Cu-Gr composites reinforced with TiC ceramic particles were prepared via the powder metallurgy route. The prepared composites microstructure, mechanical characteristics, and dry sliding wear behaviour were assessed. A pin on disc setup was taken for tribological testing where sliding velocity is 1.5 m s−1. Wear behaviour of composites was examined using a central composite design (CCD) with three levels. The wear behavior optimization was accomplished through the utilization of response surface methodology (RSM). The input parameters in RSM consisted of sliding distance, varying load, and weight percentage (wt%) of reinforcements, while the wear rate and coefficient of friction served as the two responses. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) using RSM was conducted to identify the significant parameters influencing the wear rate and coefficient of friction. A quadratic model was suggested based on best fit and a regression equation was established for predicting the tribological properties at any given input parameter. Comparative of experimental and predicted values show close tolerance. It was observed that RSM is significant tool for predicting and optimizing the tribological properties. The composite having 3.08 wt% of TiC particles was optimized for minimum wear rate & COF at 20 N load and 2000 m sliding distance.

Investigation on the effect of SiC and TiB2 ceramic particles on mechanical and tribological properties of Al7075 hybrid metal matrix composites prepared through conventional stir casting technique

Materials with lightweight construction, high strength and wear resistance are preferred in the automotive sector and aluminium is found to be a natural choice for the manufacturers. In this work, Al7075 hybrid metal matrix composites enhanced with SiC (6% weight fraction) and TiB2 (2%–6% weight fraction) particles were fabricated by stir casting technique. The characterisation of internal structure of the developed composites was done by subjecting them to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). It was found that the reinforced particles were uniformly distributed in the aluminium matrix alloy, and only a few clusters were found in the matrix alloyed with 6% TiB2. The tensile strength, hardness and flexural strength of the hybrid composites increased with increase in the weight percentage of reinforcements and attained a maximum of 233.34 MPa, 220 Hv and 458 MPa, respectively, when reinforced with a maximum of 6% SiC and 6% TiB2. The elongation percentage and the impact strength of the hybrid composites start to decrease with an increase in reinforcement percentage and attained a minimum of 6.74% and 1.2 J, respectively, when reinforced with a maximum of 6% SiC and 6% TiB2. By adjusting the input parameters such as load, sliding speed, and sliding distance, the sliding wear behaviour of the hybrid metal matrix composites was explored. It was discovered that the wear rates and coefficient of friction of the hybrid composites decreased with an increase in reinforcement percent. As a result of exhibiting superior mechanical and tribological capabilities, the results show that Al7075 with 6 wt.% SiC and 6 wt.% TiB2 hybrid composite performs the best over all other hybrid composites.

Mechanical and metallurgical characterization of B4C and SiC reinforced stir casted AA6061 hybrid MMC

The present work was the novel investigation of mechanical and metallurgical characteristics of stir casted AA6061 based metal matrix composites (MMC) and hybrid MMCs. The reinforcements utilized in the investigation were silicon carbide and boron carbide. The thirteen stir casted MMC and hybrid MMC samples were tested for ultimate tensile strength, microhardness, fractography and wear performance. The stir casting process had enhanced the reinforcement distribution within the aluminium matrix. The enhancement in ultimate tensile strength was observed due to the addition of reinforcements in increasing weight percentages with the hybrid MMC exhibiting peak ultimate strength which was a 32.17% improvement against the non-reinforced AA6061 alloy. The formation of reinforcement particulates had enhanced microhardness of the specimens with the peak microhardness observed for boron carbide reinforced MMC exhibiting microhardness 25.41% higher than the base alloy. The hybrid MMC exhibited ductile fracture with highest elongation corresponding to the highest ultimate tensile strength. The wear performance analysis revealed reduced wear rates for the particulate reinforced specimen with highest weight percentage of reinforcements.

Characterization of a functionally graded aluminium metal matrix composite (AMMC)

The functionally graded materials (FGMs) are novel materials with improved properties compared to conventional composites. Among the FGMs, the Aluminium-based FGMs are receiving tremendous attention and replacing the composites due to their excellent properties. They find numerous applications in aerospace, automobile, biomedical, defence etc. Owing to the relevance of the applications, an FG Al-SiC MMC is fabricated through Powder Metallurgy. The influence of the weight percentage of reinforcement on the mechanical and microstructure is examined. The material is subjected to hardness and compression tests. SEM, EDS and XRD studies are conducted to study the influence of SiC on microstructure. The microstructures show a uniform distribution of reinforcements. The material porosity and density are significantly influenced by the wt. % of the reinforcement. The hardness of the layers increased with the increase in the percentage of SiC.

Hybrid bio-fiber/bio-ceramic composite materials: Mechanical performance, thermal stability, and morphological analysis

Abstract Hybrid composite materials are becoming more desirable for various industrial applications to enhance sustainability and develop better environmentally friendly green products. This work aims to enhance the synergy of both bio-ceramic eggshell materials and date palm leaflet (DPL) fillers to integrate their advantages in an optimized hybridization manner to enhance their significance in producing novel biomaterials with improved desired mechanical, thermal, and morphological characteristics. Different weight percentages of hybrid green reinforcement (poultry eggshells and DPLs) were utilized in various hybridization ratios (3:7, 5:5, 7:3), (15:5, 10:10, 5:15), and (20:10, 15:15, 10:20) to fabricate 10, 20, and 30 wt% novel biomaterials. The regularly chopped DPLs were immersed in various concentrations of sodium hydroxide at different soaking times to optimize and improve their bonding with the polypropylene (PP) matrix. The mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of the fabricated hybrid composites were investigated. The results have revealed that certain hybridization ratios could improve the tensile and flexural modulus by up to 26 and 11%, respectively. According to the thermogravimetric analysis and its derivatives, hybridization was also found to have an excellent influence on the thermal stability of the PP matrix. Regarding morphological micrographs utilizing scanning electron microscopy, DPLs exhibited good bonding, whereas eggshell fillers depicted different behaviors of bonding depending on their surface topologies. It was also found that hybridization with higher eggshells had better effects on flexural strength than date palms, regardless of their weight percentages. The 30 wt% hybridization case was found to be capable of improving the modulus of elasticity of composites to 838 MPa and the flexural modulus to 735 MPa, which are suitable for various structural applications and green products.