Microstructural, Mechanical, and Thermal Characterization of TiO2- and ZrO2-reinforced Aluminum Matrix Nanocomposites Fabricated Using Powder Metallurgy
J. Environ. Nanotechnol., Volume 14, No 2 (June 2025) pp. 253-264
Abstract
This study investigates the development and characterization of aluminum-based nanocomposites reinforced with varying amounts of 0, 3, 6, and 9 weight percentages of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) nanoparticles. The nanocomposites, designated as Al/TiO2 and Al/ZrO2, were fabricated by powder metallurgy processes and sintered at 550 °C using a tubular furnace. The comprehensive test was conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), density, and microhardness testing, as well as thermal conductivity analysis. EDX analysis revealed that the addition of TiO2 and ZrO2 reinforcements resulted in a proportional enhancement of the Ti and Zr peaks. The density measurements of the materials indicated that adding reinforcements increased porosity to 2.85% for Al-9% TiO2 and 5.26% for Al-9% ZrO2. The microhardness values attained were 70.70 HV for Al-9% TiO2 and 69.68 HV for Al-9% ZrO2, indicating enhanced dispersion strengthening. In thermal conductivity analysis, the Al-9% TiO2 and Al-9% ZrO2 specimens exhibited low thermal conductivity values of 2.1 W/m·K and 2.06 W/m·K, respectively, at 300 °C, due to increased phonon scattering at the reinforcement-matrix interfaces. This thermal reduction was attributed to phonon scattering at the matrix reinforcement interfaces. The findings indicate that enhancing the nanocomposite strength results in a reduction of thermal conductivity. Results suggest that Al/TiO2 and Al/ZrO2 nanocomposites exhibit beneficial characteristics for applications demanding high strength, wear resistance, and thermal management.
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