A lightweight, highly corrosive resistant, and high-strength wrought alloy in the aluminum family is the Aluminium 8006 alloy. The AA8006 alloy can be formed, welded, and adhesively bonded. However, the recommended welding methods such as laser, TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas welding), and ultrasonic are more costly. This investigation aims to reduce the cost of welding without compromising joint quality by means of friction stir welding. The aluminum alloy-friendly reinforcement agent zirconia is utilized as particles during the weld to improve the performance of the newly identified material AA8006 alloy in friction stir welding (FSW). The objectives of this research are to identify the level of process parameters for the friction stir welding of AA8006 to reduce the variability by the trial-and-error experimental method, thereby reducing the number of samples needing to be characterized to optimize the process parameters. To enhance the quality of the weld, the friction stir processing concept will be adapted with zirconia reinforcement during welding. The friction stir-processed samples were investigated regarding their mechanical properties such as tensile strength and Vickers microhardness. The welded samples were included in the corrosion testing to ensure that no foreign corrosive elements were included during the welding. The quality of the weld was investigated in terms of its surface morphology, including aspects such as the dispersion of reinforced particles on the welded area, the incorporation of foreign elements during the weld, micro defects or damage, and other notable changes through scanning electron microscopy analysis. The process of 3D profilometry was employed to perform optical microscopy investigation on the specimens inspected to ensure their surface quality and finish. Based on the outcomes, the optimal process parameters are suggested. Future directions for further investigation are highlighted.

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Experimental Investigation of the Friction Stir Weldability of AA8006 with Zirconia Particle Reinforcement and Optimized Process Parameters.

Analysis of slip-line model for serrated chip formation in orthogonal machining of AISI 304 stainless steel under various cooling/ lubricating conditions

Nano TiC-Graphene-Cu composites fabrication by a modified ball-milling method followed by reactive sintering: Effects of reinforcements content on microstructure, consolidation, and mechanical properties

Epoxy resins, due to their high stiffness, ease of processing, good heat, and chemical resistance obtained from cross-linked structures, have found applications in electronics, adhesives coatings, industrial tooling, and aeronautic and automotive industries. These resins are inherently brittle, which has limited their further application. The emphasis of this study is to improve the properties of the epoxy resin with a low-concentration (up to 0.4% by weight) addition of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs). Mechanical characterization of the modified composites was conducted to study the effect of MWCNTs infusion in the epoxy resin. Nanocomposites samples showed significantly higher tensile strength and fracture toughness compared to pure epoxy samples. The morphological studies of the modified composites were studied using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).

Statistical Analysis of Polymer Nanocomposites for Mechanical Properties.

In the present investigation, the machinability and rheological properties of the modified vegetable oils like pongam (Pongamia pinnata), jatropha (Jatropha curcas), neem (Azadirachta indica), and mahua (Madhuca indica) are carried out. Experiments are conducted by applying prepared oils for turning and drilling of AA 6061 aluminum alloy and AISI 304L stainless steel as cutting fluids. Tool flank wear, cutting force, and surface roughness are evaluated using mineral, raw, and modified vegetable oils. The fatty acid composition and results of the copper corrosion test for all vegetable oils show that they are better candidates for cutting fluid formulation than mineral oil. The results indicate lower coefficient of friction and better surface roughness values for vegetable oils in contrast with mineral oil. Finally, it can be concluded that a lesser environmental impact and satisfactory metal cutting performance can be achieved using a vegetable oil-based metal cutting fluids.

H. S. Ashrith

Papers

Machinability of AA6061 aluminum alloy and AISI 304L stainless steel using nonedible vegetable oils applied as minimum quantity lubrication

Machinability studies on boron carbide and graphite reinforced aluminium hybrid composites

Experimental investigation on the machinability characteristics in drilling of syntactic foams