Characterization of Al-4.5%Cu alloy with the addition of silicon carbide and bamboo leaf ash

Abstract

The stir-casting method was employed to study the effect of adding silicon carbide and the bamboo leaf ash into the Al-4.5wt.%Cu alloy. The standard procedure was followed in analysing the mechanical behaviour of the fabricated composites on parameters such as density, tensile strength, and hardness. Optical microscope, scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive analysis of X-rays, and X-ray diffraction analysis helped in studying the microstructure of the composites. The study reveals that the reinforcement particles in the matrix alloy were distributed nearly homogeneously, and with a clear interface. The X-ray diffraction patterns indicate the presence of silicon carbide and bamboo leaf ash without an intermetallic reaction. The density of the hybrid composites reduces with the addition of bamboo leaf ash, but porosity increases. The fabricated composites gain in tensile strength and hardness as the reinforcement particles are added, but elongation was decreased.

Mechanical Behaviour of Aluminium Hybrid Composites Reinforced with: Rice Husk Ash - Silicon Carbide - Copper Nanoparticles

“…As the copper nanoparticles increases from 1wt% to 4wt %, the hardness values increases [24], this can be attributed to low porosity obtained as the copper nanoparticles concentration increases and strain fields created around the particulates which impede the motion of dislocation, thereby causing increase in hardness values [2]. Similar results were observed by Kumar and Birru (2018) [25] who investigated the characterization of Al-4.5%Cu alloy with the addition of silicon carbide and bamboo leaf ash, and exhibited higher hardness value as reinforcements increases. This is also in agreement with Mittal and Muni (2013) [26] who investigated the fabrication and characterization of mechanical properties of Al-RHA-Cu hybrid metal matrix composites and concluded that addition copper further increase hardness.…”