Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2025
Influences of carbonaceous reinforcements (graphene and MWCNT) on microstructure,wear,and hardness properties of hybrid nanocomposites in AZ31 magnesium alloy synthesized via friction stir processing
The present study examined the wear and hardness properties of AZ31Mg-+2.0 wt% MWCNT + 0.3 wt% graphene hybrid nanocomposites synthesized through friction stir processing (FSP) with a fixed tool rotation speed of 1200 rpm at intervals of 200 rpm. A comparative analysis of wear and hardness properties of friction stir processed and unprocessed AZ31Mg base matrix was performed. AZ31 Mg is a magnesium alloy primarily composed of magnesium with 3% aluminium and 2% zinc. The AZ31 Mg-multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) graphene composite is a cutting-edge material that combines graphene and MWCNTs with AZ31 magnesium alloy as the matrix. The Vickers hardness tester (AICEYI) was utilized to measure microhardness with a 10.2 kg load and 10- second dwell time. The hybrid AZ31Mg + 2.0 wt% MWCNT + 0.3 wt% graphene nanocomposites exhibited a microhardness of up to 90.6 HV, which was 58.6% higher than that of the base matrix without FSP. Also, results show that adding MWCNT and graphene to AZ31Mg and applying FSP reduced the average grain size from 58.14 to 44.71 µm, achieving a 23% grain refinement due to improved microstructure. The dry sliding wear behavior was carried out at varying loads (10, 15, 20, and 25 N) at a constant distance. The wear resistance of the AZ31Mg-+2.0 wt% MWCNT + 0.3 wt% graphene composite showed a significant improvement compared to the base matrix alloys of AZ31Mg at higher applied loads. The goal of this work was to produce AZ31Mg-+2.0 wt% MWCNT + 0.3 wt% graphene hybrid nanocomposites for a variety of applications including automotive and aerospace engineering, particularly in the field of nanoscience.
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