Author : Ahmed Moosa and Abbas Yass Awad

The present study deals with the wear behavior of Aluminum 4032 alloy as a matrix reinforced with rice husk ash (RHA) and yttrium oxide (Y2O3) hybrid composite. The Aluminum 4032 matrix alloy was prepared from used minibus scrap pistons. The rice husk ash (RHA) was prepared from burning the rice husk at 700 °C followed by heat treatment at 1100 °C for 2hrs and then characterized by X-ray florescence and X-ray diffraction. The Al-Mg alloy-(RHA-Y2O3) hybrid composites were prepared using two-step stir casting process by adding RHA: Y2O3 in weight ratios 4:0, 3:1, 2:2, 1:3 and 0:4 to Al 4032 alloy such that the total reinforcement is 10wt%. Dry sliding wear, coefficient of friction, hardness, apparent density, percentage of porosity were examined. The prepared hybrid composites were characterized using optical micrograph, SEM and X-ray diffraction. The results showed that the hardness, apparent density and porosity increased with increasing volume fraction of Y2O3, while apparent density decreased with increasing percentage of RHA. The addition of RHA particles increased hardness and lower the wear rate and friction coefficient. The results showed that the wear rate of the hybrid composites increased with increasing of the applied load. Coefficient of friction varies inversely with increasing both applied load and volume fraction of RHA. The Al-Mg alloy-RHA and Al-Mg alloy-(RHA-Y2O3)[3:1] composites have minimum wear rate, while Al-Mg alloy-RHA composite has lower friction coefficient.

Keywords: Aluminium hybrid composites, Rice husk ash, yttrium Oxide, Stir Casting, Wear behavior

Article published in International Journal of Current Engineering and Technology, Vol.6, No.3 (June-2016)