Enhancing mechanical properties of AA6082 alloy by reinforcing graphite nanoplatelets using a novel continuous caster

Abstract

This study employs a newly developed continuous casting setup (CCS) to fabricate a metal matrix nanocomposite (MMNC) by reinforcing graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs) within the aluminium 6082 (AA6082) alloy. Various volume percentages of GNPs, i.e., 0.3 %, 0.5 %, 0.7 %, and 1.2 % were selected for reinforcement. The incorporation of GNPs in MMNC was validated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and High-resolution Transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) techniques. Adding 1.2 % GNPs to the AA6082 alloy achieved a 183.90 % enhancement in micro-hardness, whereas incorporating 0.3 % GNPs resulted in a 71.02 % increase in the tensile strength of the MMNC relative to the base alloy. However, the MMNC, reinforced with 0.3 % GNPs, showed a significant decrease of 56.78 % in compressive yield strength compared to AA6082 alloy. Additionally, the negative elongation in compression was increased by 24.37 % up to the yield point. A detailed examination of the deformation process was performed utilizing the Finite Element Method (FEM) to explore the interaction of GNPs in AA6082. A good agreement between the simulated and experimental results for the tensile behaviour is observed, indicating the ability of the FEM model to predict the strength of GNPs reinforced MMNC. In conclusion, the advanced CCS method utilizing a rotor-stator device (RSD) and bottom-feeding technology has proven effective for synthesizing AA6082/GNPs MMNC.