Synthesis and Wear Behaviour Analysis of SiC- and Rice Husk Ash-Based Aluminium Metal Matrix Composites

Research efforts seek to develop aluminium alloy composites to enhance the poor tribological performance of aluminium alloy base matrix. In this research, a hybrid metal matrix composite (HMMC) was developed by reinforcing an aluminium alloy (AA8011) with SiC and rice husk ash (RHA) using a stir cas...

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Main Authors: Sameen Mustafa, Julfikar Haider, Paolo Matteis, Qasim Murtaza
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-09-01
Series:Journal of Composites Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2504-477X/7/9/394
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author Sameen Mustafa
Julfikar Haider
Paolo Matteis
Qasim Murtaza
author_facet Sameen Mustafa
Julfikar Haider
Paolo Matteis
Qasim Murtaza
author_sort Sameen Mustafa
collection DOAJ
description Research efforts seek to develop aluminium alloy composites to enhance the poor tribological performance of aluminium alloy base matrix. In this research, a hybrid metal matrix composite (HMMC) was developed by reinforcing an aluminium alloy (AA8011) with SiC and rice husk ash (RHA) using a stir casting technique. RHA was prepared by the cracking of rice husk, which is abundantly available in the Indian subcontinent. The samples were cast by keeping the amount of RHA constant at 2.5 wt.% and varying the amount of SiC from 0.0 wt.% to 8 wt.%. The samples were machined to manufacture pins for wear tests (at ambient temperature, 100 °C, and 200 °C) and hardness measurement. The microstructures of the cast samples were analysed using an X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM), along with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). It was observed that the composites with greater reinforcement of SiC exhibited improved hardness and wear resistance, but the coefficient of friction increased with the addition of RHA and SiC, and the wear performance deteriorated with an increase in the operating temperature. The contribution of RHA alone to the improvement in wear performance was marginal compared to the pure alloy. It was also confirmed that the reinforced composites could be a better option for automotive applications to replace aluminium alloys.
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spelling doaj.art-da551edb970a481aa84747deda033a3b2023-11-19T11:22:47ZengMDPI AGJournal of Composites Science2504-477X2023-09-017939410.3390/jcs7090394Synthesis and Wear Behaviour Analysis of SiC- and Rice Husk Ash-Based Aluminium Metal Matrix CompositesSameen Mustafa0Julfikar Haider1Paolo Matteis2Qasim Murtaza3Faculty of Engineering, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, 39100 Bolzano, ItalyDepartment of Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M1 5GD, UKDepartment of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, ItalyDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Delhi Technological University, Delhi 110042, IndiaResearch efforts seek to develop aluminium alloy composites to enhance the poor tribological performance of aluminium alloy base matrix. In this research, a hybrid metal matrix composite (HMMC) was developed by reinforcing an aluminium alloy (AA8011) with SiC and rice husk ash (RHA) using a stir casting technique. RHA was prepared by the cracking of rice husk, which is abundantly available in the Indian subcontinent. The samples were cast by keeping the amount of RHA constant at 2.5 wt.% and varying the amount of SiC from 0.0 wt.% to 8 wt.%. The samples were machined to manufacture pins for wear tests (at ambient temperature, 100 °C, and 200 °C) and hardness measurement. The microstructures of the cast samples were analysed using an X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM), along with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). It was observed that the composites with greater reinforcement of SiC exhibited improved hardness and wear resistance, but the coefficient of friction increased with the addition of RHA and SiC, and the wear performance deteriorated with an increase in the operating temperature. The contribution of RHA alone to the improvement in wear performance was marginal compared to the pure alloy. It was also confirmed that the reinforced composites could be a better option for automotive applications to replace aluminium alloys.https://www.mdpi.com/2504-477X/7/9/394metal matrix composite (MMC)SiCrice husk ash (RHA)stir castingwear
spellingShingle Sameen Mustafa
Julfikar Haider
Paolo Matteis
Qasim Murtaza
Synthesis and Wear Behaviour Analysis of SiC- and Rice Husk Ash-Based Aluminium Metal Matrix Composites
Journal of Composites Science
metal matrix composite (MMC)
SiC
rice husk ash (RHA)
stir casting
wear
title Synthesis and Wear Behaviour Analysis of SiC- and Rice Husk Ash-Based Aluminium Metal Matrix Composites
title_full Synthesis and Wear Behaviour Analysis of SiC- and Rice Husk Ash-Based Aluminium Metal Matrix Composites
title_fullStr Synthesis and Wear Behaviour Analysis of SiC- and Rice Husk Ash-Based Aluminium Metal Matrix Composites
title_full_unstemmed Synthesis and Wear Behaviour Analysis of SiC- and Rice Husk Ash-Based Aluminium Metal Matrix Composites
title_short Synthesis and Wear Behaviour Analysis of SiC- and Rice Husk Ash-Based Aluminium Metal Matrix Composites
title_sort synthesis and wear behaviour analysis of sic and rice husk ash based aluminium metal matrix composites
topic metal matrix composite (MMC)
SiC
rice husk ash (RHA)
stir casting
wear
url https://www.mdpi.com/2504-477X/7/9/394
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AT julfikarhaider synthesisandwearbehaviouranalysisofsicandricehuskashbasedaluminiummetalmatrixcomposites
AT paolomatteis synthesisandwearbehaviouranalysisofsicandricehuskashbasedaluminiummetalmatrixcomposites
AT qasimmurtaza synthesisandwearbehaviouranalysisofsicandricehuskashbasedaluminiummetalmatrixcomposites