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Wire Cut Electric Discharge Machining (WCEDM) is a novel method for machining different materials with application of electrical energy by the movement of wire electrode. For this work, an AZ61 magnesium alloy with reinforcement of boron carbide and silicon carbide in different percentage levels was used and a plate was formed through stir casting technique. The process parameters of the stir casting process are namely reinforcement %, stirring speed, time of stirring, and process temperature. The specimens were removed from the casted AZ61 magnesium alloy composites through the Wire Cut Electric Discharge Machining (WCEDM) process, the material removal rate and surface roughness vales were carried out creatively. L 16 orthogonal array (OA) was used for this work to find the material removal rate (MRR) and surface roughness. The process parameters of WCEDM are pulse on time (105, 110, 115 and 120 µs), pulse off time (40, 50, 60 and 70 µs), wire feed rate (2, 4, 6 and 8 m/min), and current (3, 6, 9 and 12 Amps). Further, this study aimed to estimate the maximum ultimate tensile strength and micro hardness of the reinforced composites using the Taguchi route.

In the past, aluminium alloys greatly influenced the aerospace, automotive, and medical fields, particularly in biomedical applications. However, in contemporary times, magnesium alloys have emerged as highly promising materials for biomedical applications and casting processes. This study focuses primarily on magnesium metal matrix composites, utilizing ZE41 magnesium alloy as the base material. ZE41 possesses a high ductile nature, excellent mechanical strength, and impressive wear and corrosion resistance properties. In this experimental work, nanographene is employed as reinforcement particles. The investigation employs the stir casting methodology to create magnesium metal matrix nanocomposites. The responses considered in this work are compressive strength and microhardness. Both responses undergo Taguchi statistical analysis with varying process parameters. A Taguchi L16 orthogonal array is utilized to assess the optimization parameters of the stir casting process. The parameters include reinforcement percentage (3, 6, 9, and 12%), stirring speed (300, 400, 500, and 600 rpm), melting temperature (700, 750, 800, and 850 °C), and stirring time (15, 20, 25, and 30 min). The mechanical properties, specifically compressive strength and microhardness, are thoroughly examined. The highest compressive strength, reaching 276.66 MPa, was achieved with 12% reinforcement, a stirring speed of 400 rpm, a melting temperature of 800 °C, and a stirring time of 15 min. Similarly, the maximum microhardness, recorded at 172 VHN, was influenced by 6% reinforcement, a stirring speed of 600 rpm, a melting temperature of 800 °C, and a stirring time of 20 min.

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.

Two-body abrasive wear behavior of glass fabric reinforced (GC) epoxy and titanium dioxide (TiO2) filled composites have been conducted out by using a tribo test machine. GC and TiO2 filled GC composites were produced by the hand layup technique. The mechanical performances of the fabricated composites were calculated as per ASTM standards. Three different weight percentages were mixed with the polymer to develop the mechanical and abrasive wear features of the composites. Evaluation Based on Distance from Average Solution (EDAS), a multi-criteria decision technique is applied to find the best filler content. Based on the output, 2wt% TiO2 filler gave the best result. Abrasive wear tests were used to compare GC and TiO2 filled GC composites. The abrasion wear mechanisms of the unfilled and TiO2 filled composites have also been studied by scanning electron microscopy. The outcome of the paper suggests the correct proportion of filler required for the resin in order to improve the wear resistance of the filled composites. Taguchi combined with Multi-Criteria Decision Method (MCDM) is used to identify the better performance of the TiO2 filled epoxy composites.

The most critical challenges confronting humanity's future is climatic change, water scarcity, and the impending end of the petroleum era are primarily driven by the depletion of fossil fuel reserves, rising global temperatures, and the rapid growth of the global population. Bio‐resources have emerged as a promising alternative for reducing dependence on petroleum‐derived materials. Interestingly, plants and microbes collectively account for approximately 99% of Earth's total living biomass. The scientific interest in environmentally friendly and sustainable materials is based on their compatibility, biodegradability, recyclability, and benign behavior, natural‐source materials. Airborne nano‐plastic pollution has become a significant environmental concern, adding to the existing challenges posed by water pollution, micro‐plastics, and other harmful contaminants that endanger both living organisms and ecosystems. This work explores the replacement of petroleum‐derived chemicals and fuels with naturally derived biomass products, emphasizing a future free from petroleum and fossil fuels. It discusses recent developments in plant‐derived polymers, resins, and composites, showcasing their potential as functional and eco‐friendly substitutes for conventional petroleum‐based materials. It highlights various advancements, including green energy solutions, the development of renewable resource‐based materials, bio‐plastics, plant‐based alternatives, and innovative water treatment technologies. Depleting fossil fuels and climate change drive interest in bio‐based materials. Plant and microbe‐derived biomass offers eco‐friendly, biodegradable, and sustainable alternatives. Research explores green energy, bio‐plastics, and renewable water treatment solutions.

Awareness of environmental concerns influences researchers to develop an alternative method of developing natural fiber composite materials, to reduce the consumption of synthetic fibers. This research attempted testing the neem (Azadirachta indica) fiber and the banyan (Ficus benghalensis) fiber at different weight fractions, under flame retardant and thermal testing, in the interest of manufacturing efficient products and parts in real-time applications. The hybrid composite consists of 25% fiber reinforcement, 70% matrix material, and 5% bran filler. Their thermal properties—short-term heat deflection, temperature, thermal conductivity, and thermal expansion—were used to quantify the effect of potential epoxy composites. Although natural composite materials are widely utilized, their uses are limited since many of them are combustible. As a result, there has been a lot of focus on making them flame resistant. The thermal analysis revealed the sample B was given 26% more short-term heat resistance when the presence of banyan fiber loading is maximum. The maximum heat deflection temperature occurred in sample A (104.5 °C) and sample B (99.2 °C), which shows a 36% greater thermal expansion compared with chopped neem fiber loading. In sample F, an increased chopped neem fiber weight fraction gave a 40% higher thermal conductivity, when compared to increasing the bidirectional banyan mat of this hybrid composite. The maximum flame retardant capacity occurred in samples A and B, with endurance up to 12.9 and 11.8 min during the flame test of the hybrid composites.

This study investigates the mechanical properties of hybrid composites reinforced with jute, kenaf, and glass fibers, incorporating Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3) as a nanoparticle filler. The effects of three key parameters—fiber orientation, fiber sequence, and weight percentage of Al2O3 on—the tensile and impact strength of the composites were examined. Three levels for each factor were considered: fiber orientation (0°, 45°, and 90°), fiber sequence (1, 2, and 3 layers), and varying Al2O3 content (3%, 4%, and 5%). The response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the parameters, providing insights into the interactions between these factors and their influence on the composite's mechanical performance. Additionally, artificial neural networks (ANN) were used for prediction modeling. The outcome presented that the ANN model outpaced RSM in terms of accuracy, with a higher correlation between predicted and experimental values. The optimal parameters for achieving the highest tensile and impact strength were determined, with fiber orientation at 90°, fiber sequence at 3, and Al2O3 content at 5%. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of ANN in predicting the mechanical properties of the laminated composite and highlights the significant role of fiber orientation, sequence, and nanoparticle reinforcement in enhancing composite performance. This study examines hybrid composites reinforced with jute, kenaf, and glass fibers, with Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3) as a filler. The effects of fiber orientation, sequence, and Al2O3 content on tensile and impact strength were analyzed. ANN outperformed RSM in predictive accuracy, identifying optimal parameters: 90° fiber orientation, three layers, and 5% Al2O3. Results highlight ANN's potential and the role of fiber and nanoparticle integration in enhancing composite properties.

In recent days, natural fibers are extremely influential in numerous applications such as automobile body building, boat construction, civil structure, and packing goods. Intensification of the properties of natural fibers is achieved by blending different natural fibers with resin in a proper mixing ratio. This investigation aims to synthesize a hybrid polymer matrix composite with the use of natural fibers of flax and loops of hemp in the epoxy matrix. The synthesized composites were characterized in terms of tribological and mechanical properties. The Taguchi L16 orthogonal array is employed in the preparation of composite samples as well as analysis and optimization of the synthesis parameters. The optimization of compression molding process parameters has enhanced the results of this investigation. The parameters chosen are percentage of reinforcement (20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%), molding temperature (150 °C, 160 °C, 170 °C, and 180 °C), molding pressure (1 MPa, 2 MPa, 3 MPa, and 4 MPa), and curing time (20 min, 25 min, 30 min, and 35 min). From the analysis, it was observed that the percentage of reinforcement is contributing more to altering the fatigue strength, and the curing time is influenced in the impact and wear analysis.

Countries globally are focusing on alternative fuels to reduce the environmental pollution. An example is biodiesel fuel, which is leading the way to other technologies. In this research, the methyl esters of castor oil were prepared using a two-step transesterification process. The respective properties of the castor oil (Ricinus Communis) biodiesel were estimated using ASTM standards. The effect of performance and emission on diesel engines was noted for four various engine loads (25, 50, 75, and 100%), with two different blends (B5 and B20) and at two different engine speeds (1500 and 2000 rpm). The study determined that B5 and B20 samples at 1500 rpm engine speed obtained the same power, but diesel fuel generated greater control. The power increased at 2000 rpm for B5 samples, but B20 samples, as well as diesel, were almost the same values. In the 40–80% range, load and load values were entirely parallel for each load observed from the engine performance of the brake power in all samples.

This study examines the effects of sonication duration, molding temperature, and weight percentage of MWCNTs and nano silica (SiO2) on the inter‐laminar shear strength (ILSS) and Izod impact strength of laminate composites composed of glass fiber‐reinforced polymers and basalt. The laminates were made using the manual lay‐up approach and compression molding, with MWCNTs and SiO2 added in equal amounts (0%, 1%, and 2% by weight). The ASTM D256 and D2344 criteria were adhered to while assessing mechanical properties. A total of 29 trials were made utilizing the Box–Behnken Design (BBD) of response surface technique, with the following independent variables: temperature, sonication duration, filler content, and molding pressure. According to an ANOVA analysis, these traits were significant for both ILSS and Izod impact strength. The ANOVA results also showed that the filler weight (A) is the most significant factor affecting the ILSS and Izod impact strength of hybrid nanocomposites, with molding temperature, pressure, and sonication duration coming in second and third, respectively. For design run orders three and eight, the ILSS values expressed were 24 MPa for the minimum and 40 MPa for the maximum. Izod impact strengths were 203 kJ/m2 in design run order 3 and 167 kJ/m2 in design run order 8. The optimal mechanical performance was determined by optimization using Design Expert 13 software at 2% filler content, 20 min of sonication, 5 MPa pressure, and 75°C molding temperature. This resulted in an impact strength of 201.47 kJ/m2 and an ILSS of 40.25 MPa. When compared to the samples with the lowest performance, these findings show improvements of 40% and 18%, respectively. Additionally, the morphological features of cracked surfaces were revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination, which shed light on the structural integrity of the composite. Effects of MWCNTs/SiO2 content, sonication time, molding temperature, and pressure on ILSS and Izod impact strength of glass‐basalt fiber laminates were studied. Optimization achieved 40.25 MPa ILSS and 201.47 kJ/m2 impact strength, confirmed by SEM analysis.