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The study of polymer matrix composites had become an important topic for academic and industrial research. The current thrust for materials which are environmental friendly and biodegradable made researchers to focus on alternate options to synthetic materials. One major area of research in this direction is in the area composites of polymers with natural fibers. These composites exhibit moderate to good mechanical properties. This overview briefs about the use of polymers for different natural fiber composites. This review is expected to provide a general overview for the materials selection for the design of composite materials with improved properties.

The present investigation compares the results of different fillers in terms of the physical, mechanical, and thermal characteristics of epoxy polymers. These epoxy hybrid composites were produced using a mechanical stirring-assisted wet lay-up method with coir microparticles, fly ash, titanium carbide (TiC) nanoparticles, and Innegra fabrics by mechanical stirring with a stirring rod. The tensile, flexural, and interlaminar shear characteristics of the fabricated epoxy hybrid composites were determined using a universal testing machine. Reinforcement with fly ash and TiC nanoparticles offers the most remarkable improvement in tensile, flexural, and impact strength, at approximately 2.84, 1.65, and 9.19 times compared with pure epoxy polymer. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis showed that the epoxy hybrid composites had enhanced thermal stability. The homogeneity of filler dispersion in the epoxy polymer was observed by scanning electron microscopy.

Traditional steels and alloys face challenges in resisting high-temperature oxidation and corrosion, especially as boilers are operated at elevated temperatures. This issue has become increasingly serious. Consequently, the surface modification of materials becomes crucial to protect against various forms of degradation and enhance component's operational performance while minimising costs. In recent years, numerous researchers have explored methods to reduce the hot corrosion of boiler steels, with a particular focus on surface coatings. Surface modification techniques such as thermal spray coating, electroplating, and other metallurgical approaches are commonly employed. The use of composite coatings on steel has grown in popularity as a possible way to enhance the material's mechanical, metallurgical, erosion, and heat-resistant qualities. This review paper has reported an in-depth and critical analysis of the existing literature, focusing on various thermal spray coatings and their applications.

In the current work, a NiCrAlY/Cr₃C₂/h-BN composite coating applied on ASTM SA213-T22 boiler steel by plasma spray (APS) is examined for its hot cyclic oxidation behavior. In order to improve boiler steel components' resistance to oxidation in high-temperature oxidative conditions, a coating was created. 50 cycles of cyclic oxidation tests were conducted in static air at 700 °C. Each cycle consisted of an hour of heating and cooling to room temperature in order to replicate actual service conditions. The oxidation kinetics were ascertained by thermogravimetric measurements, and X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) investigations were used to describe the oxide scale shape and composition. Diffusion-controlled oxide development was demonstrated by the NiCrAlY/Cr₃C₂/h-BN-coated specimen, which showed an oxidation rate 8.7 times lower than that of the untreated T22 substrate and a parabolic rate law. According to surface analysis, a thick, adherent, multi-layered oxide scale made up of NiO, CrO₃, and AlO₃ formed, effectively limiting the flow of oxygen. As a solid lubricant and diffusion barrier, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) reduced thermal stresses and inhibited the onset of cracks during cyclic exposure, further improving oxidation resistance. Oxides loaded with silicon and boron also helped to increase adhesion and scale stability under extended heat cycling. The development of continuous and protective oxide layers that preserved structural integrity and reduced mass gain during high-temperature exposure was the fundamental reason why the NiCrAlY/Cr₃C₂/h-BN coating showed higher cycle oxidation resistance at 700 °C overall.

Aluminum Metal Matrix Composites have emerged as an advanced class of structural materials have a combination of different, superior properties compared to an unreinforced matrix, which can result in a number of service benefits such as increased strength, higher elastic moduli, higher service temperature, low CTE, improved wear resistance, high toughness, etc. The excellent mechanical properties of these materials together with weight saving makes them very attractive for a variety of engineering applications in aerospace, automotive, electronic industries, etc. Hence, these materials provide as alternative substitutes for conventional engineering materials when specific mechanical properties necessary for required applications. In this work an attempt is made to study the machining parameters of Al6061/TiC MMC. The composite is developed by reinforcing TiC particles in varying proportions of 3, 6, 9 and 12 % weight fractions to the Al6061 matric alloy through stir casting technique. Cutting forces were measured by varying cutting speed and feed rate with constant depth of cut for different % weight fractions. The results showed that the cutting force increases with the increase of feed rate and decreases with the increase of cutting speed for all the weight fractions. Cutting parameters were optimized using Taguchi technique.

The present energy situation has stimulated active research interest in non-petroleum and non-polluting fuels, particularly for transportation, power generation, and agricultural sectors. This paper describes feasibility of utilization of Spark ignition (SI) engine in single fuel mode and to develop the optimum operating conditions in terms of fuel injection timing and fuel injection pressure. Many modifications were made for the developed direct fuel injection system to improve the performance of the 350 cc four stroke single cylinder petrol engine. The engine is tested to conduct performance, combustion emission characteristics with the aid of carburetor. As single cylinder small engines have low compression ratio (CR), and they run with slightly rich mixture, their power are low and emission values are high. In this study, methanol was used to increase performance and decrease emissions of a single-cylinder engine. Initially, the engine whose CR was 7.5/1 was tested with gasoline and methanol at full load and various speeds. This method is used for increasing the fuel efficiency of a vehicle by adding different percentage of methanol to the petrol and to decrease the pollutants produced during combustion process.

In this paper, fracture behavior and Mechanical properties of short banana fiber reinforced polymer composites is investigated. Fibers are extracted from banana plant,Further compositelaminates were prepared with randomly distributed fiberswith different weight fraction of banana ranging from 30%, 35% and 40%. Composites are prepared using hand layup technique. Tests were performed to determine fracture toughness (Mode I) and mechanical properties of these laminates. The tests were performed to examine the effect of weight fraction of fiber on the fracture toughness of the composite. As epoxy is a brittle material, stress intensity factor is utilized to evaluate the fracture toughness of the composites. From the experimental results were carried out on different weight fractions of banana. It is observed that the 40 % of banana fiber shows maximum fracture toughness, Composite plate of 30% shows the maximum tensile strength.

This study investigates the structural behavior of HVOF-sprayed NiCr/Mo coating. The main objective of the coating is to improve the surface properties such as micro-cutting, cavity, and cracks, to avoid the corrosion, and to determine self-life and wear resistance at room temperature and high temperature also. The coating structures are very sensitive to processing and working conditions, to overcome all these aspects, the surface metal has to undergo microstructure analysis, porosity, microstructure hardness, and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and to improve mechanical properties of metal. HVOF spraying technique was used to deposit the coating on mild steel plate than the coated sample characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), microhardness, microindentation, and wear test. Moreover, we introduce the NiCr/Mo at different percentage levels (5%, 10%, and 15%) to evaluate the mechanical properties, to improve the performance and life span of the fracturing operations in aggressive conditions, which is essential in components replacement and economic savings in various industries such as aerospace, automotive, marine, etc.

The work described in this paper focuses on a thorough examination of the tribological characteristics of silicon carbide (SiC)-reinforced AA6061 aluminum matrix composites. Tribological characteristics, such as wear resistance and frictional behavior, play a crucial role in deciding whether these composites are suitable for use in different engineering applications. By adjusting important process parameters, this study uses the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) as a statistical tool to improve the tribological properties of the AA6061-SiC composites. With different weight % of SiC particles AA6061-SiC composites are made using stir casting technique in this experiment. A pin-on-disk tribometer is used to perform tribological tests under various operating circumstances. RSM is used to examine the generated data and create predictive models that show how the process parameters relate to tribological performance. The results of this work provide important light on the interactions between SiC reinforcement and processing parameters that affect the tribological characteristics of AA6061-SiC composites. In addition, the complicated trade-offs inherent in the design of composite materials is addressed by the RSM-derived models, which make it easier to identify the ideal conditions to improve wear resistance and reduce friction.

A variety of defects exist in a laminated composite structure. Some are due to defective manufacturing conditions and processes, while some are created as a consequence of in-service loading conditions. Delamination is a defect which can arise due to either poor manufacturing processes or due to in-service loading. A delamination marks a physical separation between two adjacent layers of the composite and it has significant effects on the mechanical behaviour of the composite structure. In this work, we focus on quantifying the effects of delamination situated at the free end of a rectangular composite cantilever beam on the beam natural frequencies. Twintex and natural fibre/poly-propylene materials are considered as the individual phases. FEA is carried out by considering the contact model. The results reveal that the presence of a delamination has a huge impact on the natural frequency and so does the size of the delamination, in that the natural frequency reduces and new opening modes of vibration and introduced.