Mohd Khairol A. Arifin

Manufacturing and Properties of Quartz (SiO2) Particulate Reinforced Al-11.8%Si Matrix Composites

© 2012 Sayuti et al., licensee InTech. This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Manufacturing and Properties of Quartz (SiO2) Particulate Reinforced Al-11.8%Si Matrix Composites

Thermal Investigation of Aluminium – 11.8% Silicon (LM6) Reinforced SiO2-Particles

High performance automotive, aerospace, electronics and other industrial and commercial applications are finding tremendous advantages in using metal matrix composites. The reinforcement is very important because it determines the mechanical properties, cost and performance of a given composite. An excellent in mechanical properties, combined with the ease of formability and low cost makes the application of metal matrix composite of aluminium-11.8% silicon reinforced SiO2 to increase steadily. This paper investigates the interrelationships between thermal properties and reinforcement content, microstructure and hardness of LM6 reinforced SiO2 composites. Specimens were fabricated by casting technique for 5, 10, 15 and 20% weight fractions of SiO2 particulate and mesh of: 65 micron. The experimental results show that the thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity decreases as SiO2 wt.% of the composite increases and under hardness test, it was found that the hardness value had increased gradually with the increased addition of quartz particulate by weight fraction percentage.

Effect of Mould Vibration on Mechanical Properties of Particulate Reinforced Aluminium Alloy Matrix Composite

This paper focuses on the mechanical properties of Titanium Carbide (TiC) particulate reinforced aluminium-silicon alloy matrix composite subjected to mould vibration during solidification. In this experimental study, mould vibration is applied to TiC particulate reinforced LM6 alloy matrix composites with a wide range of frequencies. TiC particulate reinforced LM6 alloy matrix composites are fabricated by adding different particulate weight fraction of TiC in the matrix by carbon dioxide molding process. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength, hardness, are determined and microstructural features are analyzed through SEM. Besides, fracture surface analysis has been performed to characterize the morphological aspects of the test samples after tensile testing. Preliminary works show that the mechanical properties have been improved with 10.2Hz frequency when compared with the gravity sand-castings without vibration.

Effect of Quartz-Silicon Dioxide Particulate on Tensile Properties of Aluminium Alloy Cast Composites

This paper describes an experimental investigation of the tensile properties of quartz-silicon dioxide particulate reinforced LM6 aluminium alloy composite. In this experimental, quartz-silicon dioxide particulate reinforced LM6 composite were fabricated by carbon dioxide sand moulding process with variation of the particulate content on percentage of weight. Tensile tests were conducted to determine tensile strength and modulus of elasticity followed by fracture surface analysis using scanning electron microscope to characterize the morphological aspects of the test samples after tensile testing. The results show that the tensile strength of the composites decreased with increasing of quartz particulate content. In addition, this research article is well featured by the particulate-matrix bonding and interface studies which have been conducted to understand the processed composite materials mechanical behaviour. It was well supported by the fractographs taken using the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The composition of SiO2 particulate in composite was increased as shown in EDX Spectrum and Fractograph.

Mechanical Vibration Technique for Enhancing Mechanical Properties of Particulate Reinforced Aluminium Alloy Matrix Composite

The effects of subjecting solidifying particulate reinforced aluminium alloy matrix composite to various sources of vibration on the resulting casting quality, a mechanical vibration technique for inducing vibration resulting in enhanced mechanical properties, such as impact properties is devised. TiC particulate reinforced LM6 alloy matrix composites are fabricated by different particulate weight fraction of titanium dioxide and microstructure studies were conducted to determine the impact strength and density, respectively. Preliminary works show that the mechanical properties have been improved by using vibration mold during solidification compared to gravity castings without vibration.

Computer Simulation and Experimental Investigation of Solidification Casting Process

Computer simulation is widely used and conventional in manufacturing as a way to improve the manufactured goods quality as at same time plummeting invention costs, development time and scrap. In this study, three-dimensional model have been developed to simulate the filling and the solidification pattern in an aluminum casting with “AnyCasting” software. Using this software, solidification of aluminium 11.8% Si alloy in sand and metal mould was simulated and the results were compared with the experimental results. The solidification time and temperature was experimentally determined from thermocouple located at diverse distances. A data logger is used in experiment to gain the temperature division contour during the process of solidification of the aluminium 11.8% Si alloy. Experiments were set up to legalize the simulation results and it is confirm that the results from the two mould methods be in good agreement and the solidification of cast aluminium alloy using copper mould was much faster compared to the one cast sand mould. From this work it is concluded that simulation using AnyCasting software can be use to initially calculate. The simulation shows result that matches with the experimental data qualitatively and therefore the validation procedure is successful.

The Effect of Bentonite Clay on Green Compression Strength for Tailing Sands from Old Tin Mines in Perak State, Malaysia for Making Green Sand Casting Mould

Clay has an important role in making green sand casting mould beside water. Clay acts as binders, holding the sand grains together. Water is needed to activate the clay bond. Without the addition of water on clay, no strength would be achieved on sand mould, as the sand and clay would be just two dry materials. Bentonite clay was used in this study. Adequate clay content with suitable moisture in moulding sand is important for optimum strength and casting quality. Too little or too much clay will not give proper strength. Green compression strength is one of the mechanical properties to be considered for making green sand casting mould. The green compression strength of foundry sand is the maximum compressive strength that a mixture is capable of sustaining when prepared, rammed and tested according to standard procedure. For this study, test is conducted according to Foundry Sand Testing Equipment Operating Instructions from Ridsdale and Dietert. Result from this study indicates that tailing sand has potential for making green sand casting mould in term of green compression strength. Other factors that must be considered are permeability and shatter index.

Mechanical Properties of Particulate Reinforced Aluminium Alloy Matrix Composite

This paper discusses the mechanical properties of Titanium Carbide (TiC) particulate reinforced aluminium‐silicon alloy matrix composite. TiC particulate reinforced LM6 alloy matrix composites were fabricated by carbon dioxide sand molding process with different particulate weight fraction. Tensile strength, hardness and microstructure studies were conducted to determine the maximum load, tensile strength, modulus of elasticity and fracture surface analysis have been performed to characterize the morphological aspects of the test samples after tensile testing. Hardness values are measured for the TiC reinforced LM6 alloy composites and it has been found that it gradually increases with increased addition of the reinforcement phase. The tensile strength of the composites increased with the increase percentage of TiC particulate.

Influence of Mechanical Vibration Moulding Process on the Tensile Properties of TiC Reinforced LM6 Alloy Composite Castings

Vibrational moulding process has a remarkable effect on the properties of castings during solidification processing of metals, alloys, and composites. This research paper discusses on the investigation of mechanical vibration mould effects on the tensile properties of titanium carbide particulate reinforced LM6 aluminium alloy composites processed with the frequencies of 10.2 Hz, 12 Hz and 14 Hz. In this experimental work, titanium carbide particulate reinforced LM6 composites were fabricated by carbon dioxide sand moulding process. The quantities of titanium carbide particulate added as reinforcement in the LM6 alloy matrix were varied from 0.2% to 2% by weight fraction. Samples taken from the castings and tensile tests were conducted to determine the tensile strength and modulus of elasticity. The results showed that tensile strength of the composites increased with an increase in the frequency of vibration and increasing titanium carbide particulate reinforcement in the LM6 alloy matrix.

Effect of Moisture Content on the Permeability of Tailing Sand Samples Gathered from Ex Tin Mines in Perak State Malaysia

Tailing sand is one of the residue minerals obtained after tin extraction. It contains silica in between 94% and 99.5% and available in abundance at the Kinta Valley, Perak State, Malaysia. Permeability is one of the important molding sand properties and considered much in the sand casting mold preparation. This molding sand property plays a vital role in the sand casting process and helps to remove the gases during the casting processing. In this research work, samples of tailing sands were gathered from four identified ex tin mines located at the Perak State, Malaysia. They were investigated by the standard sand testing procedures prescribed by the American Foundrymen Society (AFS). Sand specimens of size Ø50 mm×50 mm in height from various sand–water ratios bonded with 4% and 8% clay were compacted on applying three ramming blows of 6666 g each by using a Ridsdale-Dietert metric standard rammer. The specimens were tested for permeability number with the aid of a Ridsdale-Dietert permeability meter. Before the tests were conducted, the moisture content was measured by using a moisture analyzer. The results were compared with the properties of the molding sand samples collected from RCS Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd., the company supplying sand to the Proton Casting unit car manufacturing company. The molding sand sample sample bonded with 8% clay was found to have maximum permeability with an optimum allowable moisture content range of 3.5-6.0% and for the sand mixture bonded with 4% clay at 3.0-3.5% moisture.