Experimental Investigation of In-homogeneity in Particle Distribution During the Processing of Metal Matrix Composites

Abstract

Particle reinforced metal matrix composites are skilled to fulfill the late needs of cutting edge designing applications, because of its tunable mechanical properties. Stir casting is one of the unmistakable and affordable strategies for preparing of particle reinforced metal matrix composites. However, complete investigation and evaluation of the vortex pressure and the homogenous distribution of particles are still an obstacle for the research community. In this method, vortex pressure and flow pattern are the important factors for the dispersion of particles in the liquid metal. Effectual flow pattern and vortex pressure can be attained by optimizing stir casting parameters such as volume concentration (5%, 10%), stirrer blade angle (45º, 90º), impeller position (20%, 40%) from the base, viscosity of Al melt (1.04 mPa-s, 1.24 mPa-s) and holding time (10 minutes, 15 minutes). In this research, computational fluid dynamics has been used to find the vortex pressure, which influences the particle distribution. A new photographic technique was implemented to find out the flow pattern of the reinforcement particles and the stir casting parameters are optimized using Taguchi method. Optimized parameters have been utilized for the production of PRMMCs. In addition, micro structural image and hardness test confirm the uniform particle distribution of the reinforcement particles. From the outcome of various experimentations, 10 minutes holding time of the stirrer blade with 45ᴼ angle which was kept 40% from the base and the viscosity of the Al melt (1.04mPa-s) with 10% volume fraction of SiC particles shows effective flow pattern and optimum vortex pressure with homogenous distribution of SiC particles.

Multi-Objective Optimization of WEDM of Aluminum Hybrid Composites Using AHP and Genetic Algorithm

“…Computational fluid dynamics was used to predict the best blade design based on hardness and compressive strength of stir-casted aluminum composites [27]. Researchers [28] have also investigated the vortex pressure through computational fluid dynamics during composite preparation as it significantly affects particle distribution. The flow pattern of reinforcements was visualized and optimized using the Taguchi DOE method.…”

Polymer composites: Additive manufacturing of composites

“…The papers published in this special issue of Polymer Composites give the polymer composites engineer insight into challenges that exist in the field of additive manufacturing (AM) of composites, the presentation of new materials and material systems, improvements on the resulting properties of 3D printed parts using existing manufacturing methods, new and novel applications of 3D printed polymer composite parts, and how problems that arise from these innovations are being addressed by the research community. [ 1–29 ]…”

“…Several other papers in this issue are also dedicated to the FFF process. [ 1–20 ] The work of FFF spans the spectrum of new biomaterials, [ 16,19,20 ] to the hybrid method of solution casting coupled with FFF as demonstrated by Subbarayan, [ 15 ] to the bio‐tissue work of Sivagnanamani. [ 14 ] Han [ 2,3 ] manufactured liquid crystalline polymer [ 2 ] and polyamide [ 3 ] strands filled with nanotubes and demonstrated the improvement the mechanical behavior of the printed parts made with the filled resins.…”