Improving the mechanical and wear behaviours of reinforced aluminium alloy with animal waste particulates ash

Abstract

The research work investigated the mechanical and wear behaviours of aluminium alloys reinforced with cow horn ash (CHA) which is cost-effective and environmentally-friendly materials at different weight percentages (0 wt. % to 15 wt. %) at 3 wt. % interval. The cow horn ash was characterized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The matrix and the composites morphology were studied using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) for the distribution of cow horn ash particles within the matrix. The wear behaviour of the alloy and composites produced at various reinforcements were carried out using a Taber abrasion wear-testing machine. The XRF showed the compositions of CHA to contain carbon (95.70 %), silicon (2.60 %), calcium (1.00%) and others. Mechanical properties investigated increase with increase in 3 wt. % to 15 wt. % of CHA. The morphologies revealed uniform distribution of CHA within the matrix resulted to the improvement in both mechanical and wear properties. The wear resistance of the composites increases with increase in the applied load and decreases with increases in the weight percentage of CHA and this can be used in the automobile and engineering industries for the productions of brake shoes, electrical insulators and others.

Keywords

• aluminum alloy
• cow horn ash
• wear resistance
• microstructure
• mechanical properties
• applied loads