Abstract
The AA6063 alloy, renowned for its resistance against corrosion and favourable mechanical properties, has limited applications within the automotive and aerospace sectors owing to its reduced hardness and wear properties.
Manihot esculenta
and
Plantago major
are essential food crops contributing to environmental pollution. This study repurposes the
Manihot esculenta
peel ash (MEPA) and
Plantago major
peel ash (PMPA) as innovative reinforcements for the in-situ fabrication of Al
2
O
3
/AA6063 hybrid and monolithic composites (HMCs) using the two-step stir casting method. MEPA/Al
2
O
3
/AA6063 and PMPA/Al
2
O
3
/AA6063 HMCs, fabricated with novel weight percentage variations of 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10%, underwent mechanical and tribological investigations. Although previous studies have examined the physio-mechanical properties of MEPA and PMPA in hybrid composites, their tribological performance remains unexplored. Additionally, using MEPA and PMPA as reinforcing elements in a monolithic aluminium matrix is novel. Oxide compositions and chemical constituents in MEPA and PMPA powders were determined, with fabricated MHCs characterized for SEM and energy-dispersive X-ray studies. Results revealed the presence of hard particulates, including SiO
2
(44%), Al
2
O
3
(16%), K
2
O (13%), CaO (12%), and Fe
2
O
3
(8%) in MEPA powders, while PMPA powders were dominated by K
2
O (81%). Morphological studies showed uniform dispersion of reinforcements within the matrix. Composite hardness and wear resistance improved with rising MEPA weight ratios, contrasting with decreasing trends in PMPA particulates. Comparatively, MEPA showed a superior impact on the hardness and tribological performance of Al
2
O
3
/AA6063 HMCs compared to PMPA These findings highlight MEPA and PMPA as sustainable engineering solutions for aluminium matrix reinforcement.
Article Highlights
The study demonstrates using MEPA and PMPA agro wastes as innovative reinforcements for AA6063/Al
2
O
3
composites.
Lightweight composites with improved hardness and wear resistance were fabricated using MEPA and PMPA particulates.
Comparatively, MEPA showed superior mechanical properties compared to those of the PMPA-reinforced AA6063/Al
2
O
3
composites.