Rotational ultrasonication assisted stir casting of ZE43 hybrid nanocomposites: A response surface methodology-based analysis of processing parameters on mechanical properties Rotationsultraschallunterstütztes Rührgießen von ZE43-Hybrid-Nanoverbundwerkstoffen: Eine auf der Antwort-Oberflächen-Methodik basierende Analyse des Einflusses von Verarbeitungsparametern auf die mechanischen Eigenschaften

Abstract

Magnesium alloys are gaining significant applications in the automobile, aerospace, and biomedical industries due to their high specific strength and low density. However, they are limited by factors such as low ductility and irregular nanoparticle distribution for higher concentrations of reinforcements, hindering their extensive utilization. To address these limitations, this present study investigates the synthesis of ZE43 magnesium alloy-based hybrid nanocomposites through a novel rotational ultrasonication-assisted stir casting (RUSC) technique. The multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) are used as hybrid reinforcements, with 2 weight percentage each. The synergistic effect of rotational stirring and ultrasonication process parameters on hybrid reinforcement dispersion is studied. Statistically, modeling and optimization of the process parameters were done using response surface methodology (RSM), namely, rotational stirring speed, ultrasonication power, and ultrasonication time. The nanocomposites produced were subjected to characterization for the mechanical properties, i.e., microhardness and tensile strength. The optimized parameter showed outstanding improvement in the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites due to efficient nanoparticle dispersion and proper interfacial bonding, which is attributed to the rotational ultrasonication-assisted stir casting process.