Surface Investigation of Physella Acuta Snail Shell Particle Reinforced Aluminium Matrix Composites

Aluminium-matrix composite is one of the most preferred engineering materials and is known for its potential benefits, such as lightweight nature, high specific stiffness, superior strength, machinability, etc. The metal-matrix composites are very attractive for critical applications: Aerospace field, defense deployments, automotive sector, marine industry. In the present work, novel Physella Acuta Snail Shell particle reinforced aluminium metal-matrix composites are developed to facilitate cost-effective and sustainable manufacturing. These green composites are developed by stir-casting with LM0 as matrix material and snail shell as reinforcement with a distinct percentage (by weight) of inclusion. The influence of snail shells is analyzed through tribological, morphological, and corrosion studies. Aluminium-matrix composite Al98SNS2 with 98% (by weight) aluminium matrix and 2% (by weight) snail shell reinforcement exhibits superior performance in all investigations. Al98SNS2 composite exhibits the least wear rate in the atmosphere of deionized water and 3.5% NaCl. Corrosion deteriorates the surface roughness irrespective of the percentage of incorporation of snail shell reinforcement. However, the deterioration is minimal in Al98SNS2. The current research findings indicate that the incorporation of snail shell in aluminum metal-matrix composites promotes cost-effective, sustainable, and eco-friendly manufacturing.

Automated summary

Aluminium-matrix composites are highly desirable for various critical applications due to their lightweight nature and superior properties. In this study, Aluminium-matrix composites reinforced with Physella Acuta Snail Shell particles were developed using stir-casting method. The composites exhibited excellent performance in terms of tribological behavior, morphology, and corrosion resistance. Among the different compositions tested, the composite with 2% snail shell reinforcement (Al98SNS2) showed the best overall performance. The findings indicate that the inclusion of snail shell in aluminium-matrix composites promotes cost-effective, sustainable, and eco-friendly manufacturing.