Effects of Weight Fractions on Properties of Aluminium-Fly Ash Metal Matrix Composites

Abstract

With particles of fly ash as the particulate addition, the properties of pure Al can be greatly improved. The incorporation of fly ash brings significant changes in some of its core properties like hardness, density, stiffness, strength, wear resistance. A comparison of the mechanical properties of pure Al have been done with three sets of Al-fly ash composites containing 6, 8 and 10% by weight fly ash which are manufactured through the stir casting technique. Increase in the weight fractions of the fly ash particles increases the ultimate tensile strength, hardness, stiffness, wear resistance and decreases the density, ductility, toughness and shrinkage of the composite. Sometimes agglomeration of ash particles and porosity occurs readily during the composite manufacturing, leading to inferior mechanical properties of composite. Aluminium fly ash composites are used in the making of various automotive parts like brake drums, brake discs, intake manifolds, valves, crankshafts and industrial furniture, highway signs, machine covers, bicycle frames, ducts, aerospace components etc.