Numerical and experimental investigation of the mechanical properties of MWCNT/RHA reinforced AlP0507-based hybrid aluminum metal matrix composites

Abstract

AbstractThe present study investigates the mechanical properties of AlP0507-based metal matrix composites reinforced with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and rice husk (RHA) using experiments and numerical simulation. To achieve this goal, an AlP0507-based MWCNT/RHA hybrid metal matrix composite was fabricated by stir casting method. Subsequently, microstructural analysis using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and EDAX was carried out for different weight ratios of MWCNTs/RHA. In addition, the tensile, impact, and hardness characteristics of MWCNT/RHA-reinforced aluminum metal matrix composite (AMMC) and hybrid MWCNT/RHA-reinforced aluminum metal matrix composite (HAMMC) were experimentally investigated for different reinforcement weight concentrations. In addition, the tensile, von Mises stress distribution, strain, and deformation behavior of AMMC and HAMMC were numerically investigated using the commercial software Digimat-FE supporting the RVE approach considering particle inclusions. It was also noticed that the optimal addition of RHA/MWCNTs to the AlP0507 melt led to an improvement in the tensile strength, hardness, and impact properties of the composites when compared to the AlP0507 material without any reinforcement. It can also be noticed that after a certain optimal percentage of RHA reinforcement, the tensile strength of AMMC and HAMMC decreases. Further, the examination of the numerical stress distribution facilitates the prediction of the regions that exhibit high levels of stress concentration, potential locations of fracture, or areas where the material may undergo excessive deformation.

Keywords

• Multi-wall carbon nanotube
• rice husk ash
• aluminum metal matrix composite
• Digimat-FE
• Tensile Properties
• Impact Properties