Investigation microstructure and mechanical characteristics of sugar palm fibre ash reinforced LM26 Al-matrix composites

Aluminium alloy of grade LM26 was used as a matrix and sugar palm fiber ash (SPFA) as reinforcement to investigate its microstructural and mechanical characteristics. Stir casting, a cost-effective method of casting was utilized to fabricate the composites, by altering SPFA from 0 to 10 wt% in 2 wt% increments in an LM26 Al-alloy matrix. The microstructural analysis and phase identification were identified with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) attached to Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD), respectively. The composites were tested for density, hardness, tensile strength, compression strength, and impact energy according to ASTM. Microstructural images revealed a homogeneous distribution of SPFA in the LM26 Al-alloy matrix. The phases identified in the composites were α-Al, hard SiO2, Mg2Si, and Al5FeSi. The addition of SPFA decreased the composite density and impact energy by 3.85% and 46.68%, respectively. The compression strength and tensile strength of the composites increased by 23.73% and 27.83%, respectively, at an 8 wt% addition of SPFA. However, further addition of up to 10 wt% SPFA showed a decreasing trend in compression and tensile strength. The hardness of the composites increased by 60.80% after a 10 wt% addition of SPFA. These findings showed that synthesized LM26 Al-SPFA composites could be used in the automotive industries for the fabrication of pistons, connecting rods, brake shoes, and other components due to their excellent mechanical characteristics.

Actions (login required)

View Item