Development and characterization of AA6061 aluminium alloy /clay and rice husk ash composite

Reinforcement performs a dynamic function in the efficiency and durability of composite materials. In the past, various researchers have conducted studies aimed at the use of different chemical particles as reinforcement particulates for aluminium metal matrix composites, leading to progressive results for the desired properties of the reinforced composite material. This study shows the potential in harnessing agro-waste materials as reinforcement instead of the traditional synthetic reinforcements such as boron carbide, silicon carbide, etc. Rice husk ash and clay particulates are harnessed for this study due to their proven ability to improve composite features such as hardness, tensile strength, bend strength, etc. This study shows, by means of various literature reviews and tests conducted at different reinforcement wt%, the viability of agro-waste reinforcement as opposed to synthetic reinforcement. The SEM (scanning electron microscope) images show homogeneous dispersal of reinforced particulate in the produced composite and XRD (X-ray Diffraction Analysis) depicts the occurrence of various phases in the composite

Effect of Alloying Element on the Integrity and Functionality of Aluminium-Based Alloy

Aluminum alloy are gaining huge industrial significance because of their outstanding combination of mechanical, physical and tribological properties over the base metal. Alloying elements are selected based on their individual properties as they impact on the structure and performance characteristics. The choice of this modifier affects the materials integrity in service resulting to improved corrosion, tribological and mechanical behavior. Hence, the need to understand typically the exact inoculants that could relatively impact on the low strength, unstable mechanical properties is envisage with the help of liquid stir casting technique. In this contribution, sufficient knowledge on Al alloy produced by stir casting will be reviewed with close attention on how the structural properties impact on the mechanical performance

The analysis on electrical conductivity of AA6061/rice husk ash composites

Metal matrix composites are demanded broadly in numerous fields of engineering and industrial sectors. In the current study, the effects of rice husk ash on AA6061 was considered by altering RHA at 2%, 4%, 6% and 8% by weight at a stirring speed of 300 rpm. In the present situation, a pattern of aluminium alloy strengthened with RHA particles fabricated by stir casting method at 600 �C and 750 �C pouring temperatures are formed and analysed. Microstructural analysis was carried out for aluminium alloy and aluminium/ RHA composites using an optical microscope. The research shows that as the percentage of reinforcement increases, there is an increase in crystallite size and micrographs results indicate the presence of silica from rice husk ash on aluminium alloy. From the electrical properties examination, The RHA reinforcement increased the conductance of the AA6061 metal matrix thereby, increasing the capacity of the metal matrix to conduct electricity because of the presence of RHA in the developed composites. � 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

The Essence of Intermetallic Phases in AA6061/Clay Composites

Aluminium alloy is applied in a variety of products, including structural supports, engine components, cooking utensils and beverage cans. AA6061 aluminium alloy strengthened with different percentages of clay in the range of 2 to 8 wt.% at 75 and 150 μm was produced. SEM/EDS analysed the impact of clay particles in AA6061 used to characterized surface morphology. XRD analysis of the prepared samples showed aluminium silicate, silicon IV oxide and aluminium oxide intermetallic phases at different peaks in the matrix alloy. The result depicts enriched hardness, tensile strength and percentage elongation of developed material to about 15.1%, 5.5% and 16.7%, respectively. The mechanical properties revealed higher results compared with AA6061 aluminium alloy. It was observed that intermetallic phases play a major role in supporting the reinforcement of AA6061 aluminium alloy

REVIEW ON PERFORMANCE OF EXISTING COOLING TOWER FAN BLADE IN THE PRODUCTION INDUSTRY

Cooling towers are the major industrial part for heat rejection in petrochemical industry, oil refineries, chemical plants, thermal power plants and HVAC systems for cooling structures. The fan is a mechanically forced-draft used to extract the heat accumulated in the flowing cooling water components and the fan blade is a very important part of the towers. Failure of fan blade leads to low productivity, high cost of replacement and maintenance of cooling tower fan blade in service. This paper presents a review on failure mode and material availability of cooling tower fan blade

The functionality of intermetallic phases in the reinforcement of AA6061 aluminium alloy

Aluminium alloys reinforced with agro-based waste particles are utilized in the aerospace industry and transport sectors due to their functional properties. In this paper, AA6061 aluminium alloy strengthened with different percentages of clay and rice husk ash (RHA) in the range of 2 to 8 wt.% at 75 and 150 μm were produced. SEM/EDS analyzed the impact of clay and RHA particles in AA6061 used to characterized surface morphology and the Brinell hardness and INSTRON 3369 universal testing machine to determine mechanical behaviours. XRD analysis of the prepared samples showed aluminium silicate, silicon IV oxide and aluminium oxides intermetallic phases at different peaks in the matrix alloy. The samples' results contained the intermetallic phases showed improvement in hardness, tensile strength and percentage elongation of developed material to about 31.6%, 7.5%, and 4.8% respectively. The mechanical properties revealed higher results compared with undeveloped AA6061 aluminium alloy. It can be concluded that intermetallic phases play a major part in strengthening the reinforcement of AA6061 aluminium alloy

Fractography and Tensile Properties of AA6061 Aluminium Alloy/ Rice Husk Ash Silicon Nanocomposite

The unstoppable quest for low-cost reinforcing agent gingered the enthusiasm towards developing and utilising the agro-based waste product as reinforcement since they are promptly accessible, sustainable, and inexpensive to purchase. In this study, AA6061/rice husk ash matrix composites were produced through metallurgical stir casting techniques. Different weight percentages of reinforcement in the range of 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8% were used to fabricate the composites. 'e reinforced composites were characterized by SEM/EDS for microstructural study. 'e mechanical behaviour was examined for all the produced samples. SEM/EDS analysis revealed the presence of silica, a major constituent of rice husk ash in the produced composites. 'e results of the mechanical behaviour show that upgrading the weight percentage of reinforcing agent increases the mechanical properties. AA6061/8% rice hush ash generated a consistent rise with filler concentration in comparison with the aluminium alloy in all operating functions

A review on the mechanical strength of aluminium - clay composites

The innovation in the usage of cheaper materials with better quality has been in the mind of many scientists. Recently, more requests have been on the utilization of agro-industrial product to produce materials to curb ecological hazards. Clay could be an alternative to SiC and Al2O3 due to their cheaper rate and availability. Reinforcements can be integrated into the melt using cheap and globally recognized stir casting method. Low - cost eco-friendly waste products that are easily accessible like clay, nanoclay, kaolinite, mica, and carbon are utilized as reinforcement in aluminium alloy. This review paper studied the various compositions of aluminium alloy composites for manufacturing purposes and its usage in automobile, aircraft, marine and the transportation industry. The study revealed that the addition of clay as reinforcement increases the properties of the composites

Corrosion Performance and Wear Behaviour of AA6061 Reinforced Hybrid: Nano-Rice Husk Ash/Clay Particulate for Cooling Tower Fan Blade in 0.75 M H2SO4

The failures of material performance in industry are due to structural, corrosion and wear dilapidation in service. This study attempts to develop AA6061 with rice husk ash and clay hybrid to address this phenomenon for application in cooling tower fan blade. This study also targets at developing sustainable and long-lasting hybrid of aluminium biodegradable composites through metallurgical stir casting techniques. Corrosion properties were examined using Potentiostat Galvanostat (PGStat 101) with Nova software acquisition while pin-on-disc wear machine was used to analyse the wear propagation of the composites. The microstructure, chemical composition and quantification were examined with SEM/EDS. It was established that the reinforcement improved corrosion susceptibility of the composites in 0.75 M H2SO4 solution. The coefficient of friction and the wear resistance of the hybrid composites were better than the as-received sample. Furthermore, AA6061/8% rice husk ash + clay at 75 µm possesses rod-like pattern and unique structure grain crystal

THE STUDY ON IMPROVEMENT OF ALUMINIUM ALLOY FOR ENGINEERING APPLICATION: A REVIEW

The incessant failure of aluminium alloy in service is one of the major obstacle facing industrialist and manufacturers. The urgent desire for low density, cheaper and super workability of material necessitate changing from aluminium alloy to composite materials, Aluminium metal matrix composite has been produced as a result of high specific strength, cheaper rate and resistance to wear which found major structural application in aerospace and automotive industry. Stir casting technique has been used because it is simple, flexible and applied in production of large quantity of materials. Agricultural and agro industrial waste products which are cheaper and easily available like rice husk ask, flyash, bagasse ash and graphite has been utilized as reinforcements in aluminium matrix. This paper presents a review on improvement of aluminium alloy for engineering application. The study shows that inclusion of agro industrial waste improved mechanical properties of the developed material