Experimental Investigation, Modeling, and Optimization of Wear Parameters of B4C and Fly-Ash Reinforced Aluminum Hybrid Composite

Abstract

Lightweight and high-wear performance materials are currently in demand for various advanced applications in areas such as aerospace and automobiles. These demands can be achieved by hybrid aluminum matrix composites (HAMCs), as they possess excellent mechanical and tribological properties which can be customized using more than one reinforcement. Boron carbide (8 wt.%) and fly-ash (2 wt.%) reinforced hybrid aluminum 7075 composite was successfully fabricated using a stir-casting route. Wear is a crucible phenomenon that occurs over the interaction of surfaces and affects the performance of the material. To investigate wear behavior of developed HAMC, dry sliding wear tests were conducted based on the central composite design, taking the specific wear rate as a response parameter. Modeling of wear parameters is crucial, as it helps to predict the value of the wear response at the given set of input parameters without performing experimentation. Response surface method (RSM) was used for the modeling of wear parameters to develop an empirical model of specific wear rate in terms of load, sliding speed, and sliding distance. The high value of the coefficient of determination (R 2 = 0.9894) illustrates the goodness of fit of the developed model. Moreover, the optimal condition of wear parameters was determined as 20 N load, 1.5 m/s sliding speed, and 500 m sliding distance; the predicted value of specific wear rate in this set of parameters is 0.2 × 10 −5 mm 3 /N-m. The validation test at optimal conditions was performed and the specific wear rate was found to be 0.205 × 10 −5 mm 3 /N-m, which shows good agreement with the predicted value. The worn-out surface and debris were analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM) images and electron dispersive spectrums (EDS) to completely explore the mechanism of wear.

The Role of Tetra Hybrid Reinforcements on the Behavior of Aluminum Metal Matrix Composites

“…It can be stated that 10% of the primary reinforcements (SiC and Al 2 O 3 ) and 9% of the secondary reinforcements (Gr and SCBA) of HAMCs had superior physicomechanical characteristics when compared to other compositions. Particulate reinforced AMCs outperform conventional materials in terms of hardness, tensile and compressive strength, and tribological properties [75]. Furthermore, due to the composite's single reinforcement, the characteristics of AMCs cannot be adjusted.…”

“…However, HAMCs may be customized to meet specific needs by selecting appropriate reinforcements. Because of its ease of use and the ideal combination of configurable tribological and mechanical properties, high strength-to-weight ratio, and environmental friendliness, HAMCs have become a popular choice for the aerospace, automotive, sporting, and electronics industries [75].…”

Development and characterization of Aluminium AA7075 hybrid composite foams (AHCFs) using SiC and TiB2 Reinforcement

“…It offers the highest strength and potential for dry sliding wear applications [20][21] [22]. Researchers reported the mechanical properties of various aluminium series, which indicates that AA7075 has the highest strength, hardness, and the lowest wear rate of all aluminium series, i.e., 1xxx, 2xxx, 3xxx, 6xxx, and 7xxx [23]. Due to its low weight-to-strength ratio, high wear resistance, and creep resistance, it has potential applications in the automotive, aeronautical, sports, and electronics [24]; therefore, aluminium 7075 alloy was selected as the matrix material for the preparation of hybrid composite foam.…”

Effect of FeNb on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Cu-Ni alloy

“…The replacement of conventional materials with metal matrix composites (MMCs) as a structural engineering material is widespread in automobile, aerospace, military and marine sectors [4][5][6][7][8]. There are three significant reinforcements incorporated into aluminium matrix alloy: synthetic ceramics, industrial waste, and agro-waste [9]. The particulate-reinforcing of the aluminium matrix alloy mainly focused on the strength enhancement, reduction of weight and reducing the cost for use in advanced applications.…”