Mechanical and Microstructural Response of an Aluminum Nanocomposite Reinforced with Carbon-Based Particles

Abstract

The present work deals with the study of some aluminum (Al) composites reinforced with metallized-graphite (MG) particles prepared by mechanical milling and powder metallurgy routes. Density, morphology evolution and mechanical performance of composites were investigated as a function of MG concentration and milling time. The as-milled powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction and optical/electron microscopy; meanwhile, the mechanical testing was carried out on cylindrical specimens prepared from powders by powder metallurgy. Evidence reveals that high-energy ball milling induce a homogeneous dispersion of graphite nanoparticles in the Al matrix; this is related to an enhancement of hardness and strength response of studied composites. The composite sample with 0.5% MG addition (in weight) reached an increase of 40% on hardness and 50% on strength (compared with pure Al sample); nevertheless an adverse effect was observed with longer milling and/or higher MG concentration.

A Comprehensive Study of Aluminium Based Metal Matrix Composite Reinforced with Hybrid Nanoparticles

“…The 2θ value for copper at 44.95° gives the maximum peak value in plane (111) similarly graphite gains the maximum value at 2θ = 26.52° with the plane (002). Similar studies [15] reveal the diffraction of graphite with peak of 2θ = 25° the same peak was obtained in the graphite powder. The crystalline size and strain of the constituent elements in the hybrid are shown in Table 1.…”

“…It is noticed that reinforcement particles are well dispersed inside the matrix after long hours of milling. José Manuel Mendoza-Duarte et al [15] clarifies the similar morphological changes occurred to the reinforcements except for alumina after 8 h of milling whereas the 4 h milling does not show any noticeable difference.…”

“…Even though most of the researchers concentrate on wear, surface roughness etc., work related to enhancing the properties like tensile strength and hardness along with machining on the nanocomposites in WEDEM are scanty [13,14]. In this investigation, deals with manufacturing of powder hybrid nanocomposites into a solid hybrid nanocomposites and testing on mechanical properties and its machinability of the samples were studied [15]. This investigation deals with manufacturing of powder hybrid nanocomposites into a solid hybrid nanocomposite structures and testing them for their mechanical properties and machinability aspects, in line with [16] and [17].…”

Study on Effect of EAFD Particulate Reinforcement in AA7075 Aluminum Matrix Composites

“…EAFD, aluminum alloy, powders (5 wt.% and average particulate size of 20 µm) and stearic acid (2 wt.%) were mixed, with a ball to powder weight ratio of 10:1, in isopropyl alcohol in order to prevent oxidation risk and provide effective mixing, reducing cold welding of powders 23 . Other alcohols are commonly used in ball milling to as control agent 15,21 . After mixing, the blend was dried at 150°C to remove isopropyl alcohol.…”

“…In addition to factors related to raw materials, operational factors also affect its composition, such as the type of furnace, operating cycle, and gas cleaning system efficiency 14 . Powder Metallurgy (PM) is an appropriate method for metal matrix composite processing due to its simple processing and ample applications in different fields, such as transportation, the aerospace and infrastructure 15,16 . PM allows for recycling of solid waste in its solid state, transforming it into useful products through the reduction of metal oxides present in the steelmaking dusts and in its composition during sintering 17 .…”