Mechanical and tribological behavior of AA5052 aluminum hybrid nanocomposites reinforced with ZnO and Y2O3 nanoparticles

Abstract

ABSTRACT Aluminum matrix composites are widely employed in the aerospace, marine, and military industries due to their excellent mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. This study investigates the effect of hybrid ZnO and Y2O3 nanoparticle reinforcement on an AA5052 aluminum alloy matrix fabricated by ultrasonic-assisted stir casting. The ZnO content was fixed at 3 wt.%, while the Y2O3 content was varied from 0 to 6 wt.%. The mechanical, tribological, and microstructural properties of fabricated composites were assessed. The results showed that the addition of Y2O3 nanoparticles promoted microstructural refinement and enhanced the composite performance. The optimum properties were achieved at 4 wt.% Y2O3, resulting in an approximately 80% increase in hardness, a 78% increase in impact strength, and a 15.2% increase in ultimate tensile strength relative to AA5052 composite reinforced with 3% ZnO (0 wt.% Y2O3). Furthermore, the hybrid composite exhibited a reduction in wear rate and weight loss compared with the ZnO-reinforced AA5052 composite. The composite containing 4 wt. % Y2O3 also showed the lowest wear rate and weight loss across the investigated applied loads, while maintaining the highest overall mechanical performance. However, further increasing the Y2O3 content to 6 wt.% led to deterioration in properties. These results indicate that an optimized hybrid ZnO/Y2O3 reinforcement system can enhance the overall performance of AA5052 matrix composites.