STUDIES ON MECHANICAL AND TRIBOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF LM25 COMPOSITES

Abstract

Aluminium LM25 alloy is widely used at automobile and aircraft industries in the form of cast component with varying section size. This study investigates how the microstructure and mechanical properties of LM25 alloy before and after addition of reinforcement material of coconut shell ash to the base material aluminium alloy as Metal Matrix Composites have wide range of applications in current industrial scenario. Conventional materials have limitations with respect to composite material due to their deficiency in its properties. Stir casting is followed to obtain uniform mixing of reinforcement material with the base alloy and by different three composition of stir casting has been done. And further mechanical and microstructure test analysed with proper accurate dimension specimens with calculations. The current research includes the study of metal matrix composite of aluminum alloy reinforced with coconut shell ash, for the application of water cooled cylinder block, and mainly focused to improve the characteristics of aluminium material.

Keywords: Aluminium matrix, Coconut shell ash, Composites, Microstructure, Particulate, Stircasting.