Applied Mechanics and Materials Submitted: 2019-01-08

ISSN: 1662-7482, Vol. 895, pp 122-126 Accepted: 2019-02-22

doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.895.122 Online: 2019-11-01
© 2019 Trans Tech Publications Ltd, Switzerland

Experimental Investigations on Vibration Properties of Aluminium

Matrix Composites Reinforced with Iron Oxide Particles
Shivakumar S.P.1,a*, Sharan A.S.2,b and Sadashivappa K.3,c
1
Department of Automobile Engineering, S.J.M.I.T., Chitradurga, India
2
Department of Mechanical Engineering, B.I. E.T., Davanagere, India
3
Department of Mechanical Engineering, B.I. E.T., Davanagere, India
a
shiv180cta@gmail.com, bsharanas17@yahoo.co.in

Keywords: Aluminium matrix composites, iron oxide, damping properties

Abstract: Aluminium matrix composites offer improved damping properties than other metals and
its alloy. Generally pure metals and its alloys may have fairly good mechanical properties but falls
short in damping properties. Aluminium matrix composites are becoming important in aerospace
automobile and marine applications due to its god damping properties. The present investigation is
concerned with the damping capacity of iron oxide (Fe2O3) reinforced aluminium matrix composite.
The composites were fabricated with 2%, 4% and 6%, by weight of iron oxide with varied particle
of size 40 µm and 500 nm in equal proportions using stir casting process. From the results obtained
the 500 nm size with 4 wt% of iron oxide showed improved dynamic properties. The iron oxides
reinforced with aluminum matrix are found to be new substitutes for the existing materials with low
damping properties.

Introduction
Damping properties of the material aids in absorbing and dissipation of mechanical
vibrations during cyclic loading. Vibrations are undesirable for engineering applications due to the
need for structural stability and thereby performance [1]. Hence materials with high damping
capacity are crucial for engineering applications. Most of the metals and its alloys usually exhibit a
low damping capacity and hence, are limited in their application and performance in dynamic
structures. With the development of composite technology it became possible to modify the
physical mechanical and the damping behavior of metals and alloys by combining them with
reinforcement particles to form metal matrix composite (MMC). The resultant damping properties
of MMCs will increase by selecting high damping reinforcing materials, size of the reinforcement
particles and varying volume fractions of the reinforcement.
Studies on reinforced MMCs including continuous graphite fiber/aluminium alloy
composites [2-6] have shown that these composites possess excellent damping properties compared
to their base alloys. Damping behavior of these composites results from a combined effect of
interfaces, the constituent fiber, and matrix materials. Fiber-reinforced composites with imperfect
bonding at the interface have been found to result in higher damping compared to those with well
bonded composites. Zhang et al. [6] studied the damping behavior of as-received 6061-T6
aluminium alloy and graphite particulate-reinforced 6061 aluminium alloy composite processed by
spray atomization and co-deposition. They also studied the damping capacity of the spray-deposited
6061 Al-graphite composite in the extruded condition. Recently, it has been reported that the
damping capacity of AMCs is influenced by several factors [7, 8]. Rohagti et al. [9] reported that
the damping capacity of AMMCs is influenced by volume fraction, size, shape and nature of
particles, processing technique, porosity, and interfacial bond. This work aims to study the damping
capacity and dynamic Young’s modulus of an aluminium iron oxide composites processed by stir
casting process

All rights reserved. No part of contents of this paper may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of Trans
Tech Publications Ltd, www.scientific.net. (#526525134, Linköpings Universitetsbibliotek, Linköping, Sweden-05/01/20,09:55:29)
 Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 895 123

Experimental Procedure
In the present work, iron oxide particulates were used as reinforcements with aluminum
used as a matrix material. The chemical composition of aluminium 6061 alloy is given in Table 1.
Table 1. Chemical composition of aluminum 6061 alloy (wt %).

Element Mg Si Cu Zn Ti Mn Cr Al
Amount (wt %) 0.85 0.68 0.22 0.07 0.05 0.32 0.06 Balance

Iron oxide or ferric oxide is the inorganic compound with the formula Fe2O3. It is one of the
three main oxides of iron, the other two being iron (II) oxide (Fe O), which is rare, and iron (II,III)
oxide (Fe3O4), which also occurs naturally as the mineral magnetite. The mineral is known as
hematite, Fe2O3 is the main source of iron for the steel industry. The purity of Fe was 98%, contain-
ing 0.1% insoluble sulphuric acid, 0.06% SO4, 0.005% N, 0.005% Cu, and 0.03% water solubility.
Fe2O3 is ferromagnetic, dark red, and readily attacked by acids. Iron (III) oxide is often called rust,
and to some extent this label is useful, because rust shares several properties and has a similar
composition. To a chemist, rust is considered an ill-defined material, described as hydrated ferric
oxide.
The metal matrix composites of Al 6061 reinforced with iron oxide was prepared in a
crucible furnace. The fabricated stir casting set up is shown in Fig.1. The iron oxides were pre
oxidised at 650º C for 2 hours and poured into the liquid matrix stirred at a constant rate. Three
different weight fractions 2%, 4% and 6% of iron oxide by weight percentage of aluminium were
fabricated. The average particle size for the study of the variation of percentage of particle was 500
nm and 40 µm.

Fig. 1 Stir Casting Setup

Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA)

Dynamic Young’s modulus (|E*|) and damping capacity (tan delta) were measured on a
dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA Q800, TA Instruments), with dimensions of 3x2x17.5 mm
using single cantilever testing mode. DMA tests were performed at 1Hz using constant strain
amplitude (2x10-5). In this study, natural frequency, damping factor, storage modulus, loss modulus
on the iron oxide reinforcement with aluminium matrix composites and particle size is investigated.

Results and Discussion

Effect of particle size on damping factor
The obtained results revealed that the damping factor of iron oxide reinforced aluminium
matrix composites specimens were increased by 2 wt%, to 4 wt% and decreases when the
composition is increase to 6 wt% was shown in the Fig. 2. The obtained results indicated also that
the decreasing of particulates size from 40 μm to 500 nm was increased the damping factor by an
124 Green Trends in Mechanical Engineering

approximately value of 1.7% from that obtained for the composites having the same volume
fraction. The effects of volume fractions on damping factor were related to the reinforcement
particulates absorbing the external forces through broking the continuity of line of working force,
then increasing the length of force working line so, reduces the effect of external force and
increases the damping factor.

Fig. 2 Effect of particle size on damping factor of iron Fig. 3 Effect of particle size on natural frequency of iron
oxide reinforced aluminium matrix composites oxide reinforced aluminium matrix composites

Effect of particle size on natural frequency

A mechanical structure will oscillate at a particular frequency if it is knocked or set into
motion; this is known as its natural frequency. Systems can have single or multiple degrees of
freedom, depending on the number of coordinates required to describe the oscillation. The effect of
the iron oxide particulates size on the natural frequency of composites was noticed and results are
shown in the Fig. 3. The results show that the natural frequency of composites having small
particulates size (500 nm) more than that of larger particulates size (40 µm). These results due to
the decrease of particulates size were increasing both composites strength and ductility of the
composites, hence increasing stiffness and natural frequency
Effect of particle size on storage modulus
Storage modulus (E‘) is a measure of elastic response of a material. It measures the stored
energy. The storage modulus is the elastic solid like behavior. The storage modulus is an indication
of ability of composites to store deformation energy in an elastic manner. This is directly related to
the extent of iron particles reinforced; the higher the reinforcement the greater the storage modulus.
The storage modulus – iron oxide composition profile is varies for varied iron oxide reinforcement.
The results show that the storage modulus of 500 nm is higher than that of the 40 μm composite as
shown in the Fig. 4. The increases of volume factions of the reinforcement were increasing the
grains structure constrained points where its resisting grain growth and grain deformation hence,
increasing force reflection points where each particulate was considered as a storage point. This
means that the reinforcement particulates were considered as dampers where its number was
increased by increasing the number of particulates or by increasing the volume fraction of the
reinforcement.
 Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 895 125

Fig. 4 Effect of particle size on storage modulus of iron Fig. 5 Effect of particle size on loss modulus of iron oxide
oxide reinforced aluminium matrix composites reinforced aluminium matrix composites

Effect of particle size on loss modulus

Storage modulus (E‘) is a measure of elastic response of a material. It measures the stored
energy. The storage modulus is the elastic solid like behavior. The storage modulus is an indication
of ability of composites to store deformation energy in an elastic manner. This is directly related to
the extent of iron particles reinforced; the higher the reinforcement the greater the storage modulus.
The loss modulus of iron oxide composition profile is varies for varied iron oxide reinforcement is
shown in Fig. 5. The results show that the storage modulus of 500 nm is higher than that of the
40 μm composite. The increase of volume fraction of iron oxide may increase the grain structure. At
constrained points it resists grain growth and also grain deformation. The increasing force reflection
points where each point is considered as a storage point. The reinforcement particles act as
dampers. Smaller the size of the particle greater will be the damping properties. The volume
fraction of 4 wt% exhibits the optimum value. Later increase in the volume fraction shows decrease
in damping factor of the composites.

Conclusion
Damping characteristics of the aluminium iron oxide composites containing 2, 4 and 6
weight percentage iron oxide in equal proportions were studied. From the study, the following
conclusions were drawn. The natural frequency, storage modulus, loss modulus and the damping
capacity of the composites varies with varied reinforcement and particle size. The damping capacity
increases with the increase in the percentage of the reinforcement up to 4 wt% of iron oxide and the
particle size of 500 nm. A new class of materials like aluminium iron oxide composites may
substitutes for the existing materials with low damping.

References
[1] Elomari S., Boukhili R., Skibo M.D., Masounave J. Dynamic-mechanical analysis of
prestrained Al2O3/Al metal-matrix composite. J. Mater. Sci. 1995;30:3037–3044.
[2] Ludwigson M.N., Lakes R.S., Swan C.C. Damping and stiffness of particulate SiC-InSn
composite. J. Compos Mater. 2002;36:2245–2254
[3] Zhang J.M., Perez R.J., Wong C.R., Lavernia E.J. Effects of secondary phases on the damping
behavior of metals, alloys and metal-matrix composites. Mater. Sci. Eng. R Rep. 1994; 13:
325–389.
[4] M.S. Misra and P. D. Legreca,"Damping behavior of MMCs', Vibration Damping-1984
(Workshop Proceedings), AFWAL-TR-84-3064, V-l, November 1984.
126 Green Trends in Mechanical Engineering

[5] Bauri R., Surappa M. Damping behavior of Al-Li-SiCp composites processed by stir casting
technique. Metall. Mater. Trans. A. 2005;36:667–673s. Metall. Mater. Trans. A.
1995;26:2803–2818
[6] J. Zhang, r. J. Perez, m. N. Gungor and e. J. Lavernia, in "Developments in Ceramic and
Metal-Matrix Composites", edited by K. Upadhyaya, TMS 1992 Annual Meeting, San Diego,
CA, March 1-5, 1992 (Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society, 1992).
[7] Kang C.S., Maeda K., Wang K.J., Wakashima K. Dynamic Young’s modulus and internal
friction in particulate SiC/Al composites. Acta Mater. 1998;46:1209–1220
[8] Mielczarek A., Trojanova Z., Riehemann W., Lukac P. Influence of mechanical cycling on
damping behaviour of short fibre-reinforced magnesium alloy QE22. Mater. Sci. Eng. A
Struct. Mater. 2006;442:484–487.
[9] Rohatgi P.K., Nath D., Singh S.S., Keshavaram B.N. Factors affecting the damping capacity
of cast aluminum-matrix composites. J. Mater. Sci. 1994;29:5975–5984.