Publication

Abstract : The development of hybrid agro-metallic alloy and its composites has increased in the last few years to overcome the shortcomings of monolithic alloys. Using hard ceramic reinforcements would enhance the strength of the alloys and its composites during component building. One such ceramic reinforcement is the Titania (TiO2) powder, which possesses more strength than other ceramics materials, but the cost is a little higher. To overcome this, eco-friendly, calcined eggshell (CES) particulates are added to TiO2 reinforcement to enhance the strength of the hybrid composite at a reduced cost. The main novelty of the present study is the employment of CES and TiO2 particulates in the Al 6061 matrix during the development of hybrid Al 6061 composites. This increases the strength of the fabricated composites at a reduced cost and results in the development of eco-friendly agro-metallic composites. Samples were produced individually in groups with varying proportions of CES at 3, 6, 9 and 12 wt% and combined with fixed proportions of TiO2 at 3, 6, 9 and 12 wt% individually with groups such as A (3 wt% of TiO2 + 3, 6, 9 and 12 wt% of CES), B, C and C and D, respectively. Microstructural characterization through FESEM and phase identification through XRD analysis are conducted to justify the uniform dispersion of reinforcements in the matrix. Developed samples were subjected to tensile, flexural and hardness tests, and the results proved that the mechanical properties of composites were enhanced when combining 3, 6, 9 and 12 wt% CES with 3 and 6 wt% of TiO2 compared with unreinforced Al 6061. The enhancement is linked to the uniform dispersion of the particles and good interaction between the particles. However, the 3, 6, 9 and 12 wt% CES with 9 and 12 wt% of TiO2 yielded inferior strength performance relative to the reference mix due to particle clustering and agglomeration formation. This acts as a yielding point for stress concentration. Therefore, it was concluded that a combination of 3, 6, 9 and 12 wt% CES with TiO2 should not exceed 6 wt% of TiO2.