International Journal of Applied Engineering Research

ISSN 0973-4562 Volume 9, Number 2 (2014) pp. 191-196

Research India Publications
http://www.ripublication.com

A Comparative Study on Analytical and Experimental

Buckling Stability of Metal Matrix Composite Columns with
Fixed & Hinged Ends
G Bala Narasimha1, M Vamsi Krishna2 and
Dr. Anthony M Xavior 3
P.G.Student, Madanapalle Institute of Technology and Sciences, Dept of Mech Engg,
Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh, India, 9703079272, balanarasimha.g@gmail.com
Asst prof, Dept of Mech Engg, Madanapalle Institute of Technology And Sciences,
Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh, India, 8978407734, mamidivk@gmail.com
Professor, School Of Mechanical And Building Sciences,
Vellore Institute Of Technology, Vellore, Tamilnadu
ABSTRACT:
In many engineering structures such as columns, beams, or plates, their failure
develops not only from excessive stresses but also from buckling. Buckling
characteristics are used in design of automobile components such as engine
connecting rod, push rods etc., when subjected to in plane compressive loads
as the evaluation index. There are, however a limited number of studies on the
buckling of columns on various engineering materials. The objective of the
present study is to fabricate and compare the buckling loads of AL6061/SiC
composites containing SiC particulates of (400 mesh) and
AL6061/SiC/Graphite containing SiC particulates of (400 mesh) and
Graphite(1 Nano) Hybrid particulate composites. The reinforcing particulates
in the MMCs vary from 0% to 15% by weight in varying steps of 5%. The
composites were tested as per ASTM Standards for mechanical properties and
buckling tests were conducted on the computerized UTM with different set of
material properties of composites, and the experimental buckling loads are
compared with analytical buckling loads using Johnsons parabola equation.
The main aim of this work is to increase the buckling stability and to reduce
the weight of the column compared to pure metals.
Keywords: Buckling analysis, Metal matrix composites, Johnsons parabola
equation

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I. INTRODUCTION
Metal Matrix Composite (MMC) is engineered combination of metal (Matrix) and
hard particles (Reinforcement) to tailored properties. Metal Matrix Composites
(MMCs) have very light weight, high strength, and stiffness and exhibit greater
resistance to corrosion, oxidation and wear. Hybrid MMCs offer great properties
compared to MMCs [1 - 4]. Fatigue resistance and elastic instability is an especially
important property of Al-MMC, which is essential for automotive application.
Examples of components that have been manufactured using metal matrix composites
include pistons for diesel engines, connecting rods and push rods. These properties
are not achievable with lightweight monolithic titanium, magnesium alloys.
Particulate Al metal matrix composites have nearly isotropic properties when
compared to other reinforced composite. But the mechanical behavior of the
composite depends on the matrix material composition, size, and weight fraction of
the reinforcement and method utilized to manufacture the composite.
Aluminum is an attractive material as it is light, strong, clean, normally ductile,
easily formed and fabricated, and readily available. It is recyclable and thus
environmentally friendly. The accumulated experience over many years shows that
aluminum alloys offer both safety and reliability for use in automobile components
because of their unique material characteristics .Although aluminum alloys are well
suited for some applications in structural elements when they are subjected to
compressive loads. Due to the excellent stiffness and weight characteristics,
composites have been receiving more attention from engineers, scientists, and
designers.
Columns are defined as relatively long, slender member subjected to compressive
stresses. The most common example of a column is the vertical supporting member of
a building. In an automobile, various components are subjected to in plane
compressive loads during operation which are treated as short columns like
connecting rod, push rod that may cause buckling if overloaded. Hence their buckling
behaviors are important factors in safe and reliable design of these parts. buckling
evaluations is now increasingly attracts the attention of auto makers.
N.V.Srinivasulu, reported his work on the Experimental Buckling Analysis of
Thin Cylindrical Aluminium Shells [5] and compared the buckling results
analytically and experimentally to reduce the stresses.
Moon kyu lee in his experimentation, compared the analytical and experimental
Buckling results of connecting rod reduced the shank sectional area to reduce the
weight of the component[6]. Pravardhan S. Shenoy and Ali Fatemi, done his work on
Connecting Rod Optimization for Weight and Cost Reduction[7] by replacing the
conventional manufacturing process.
In this paper, an attempt is to fabricate MMC for automotive applications which
undergoes compressive loads to overcome the buckling stability and to reduce the
weight of the component. The buckling loads were calculated experimentally and
analytically by using J.B. Johnsons parabolic equation.

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193

II. EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

A) Preparation of the composite:
The liquid metallurgy route has been adopted to prepare the composites of Al
6061/SiC & Al 6061/ SiC/Gr. Liquid metallurgy technique is the most economical of
all the available routes for metal matrix composite production [8] and generally can
be classified into four categories: pressure infiltration, stir casting, spray deposition
and in situ processing . Compared to other routes, stir casting process has some
important advantages, e.g., the wide selection of materials, better matrix particle
bonding, easier control mixture structure, simple and inexpensive processing,
flexibility and applicability to large quantity production and excellent productivity for
near net shaped components.
In the preparation, first the Matrix was superheated over its melting temperature.
Then temperature was decreased gradually below the liquidus temperature to keep the
matrix alloy in the semi-solid state [9]. At this temperature, the preheated
reinforcement were introduced into the slurry after effective degassing using solid
hexachloroethane (C2Cl6), and then mixed. Before introducing, Silicon carbide and
Graphite was preheated upto 6000 C and 11000C respectively in an electrical
resistance furnace. A small amount of Magnesium is introduced into the melt, to
enhance the wettability between matrix and the reinforcement. The total weight of
reinforcement was introduced into melt 3 times rather than introducing all at once. At
every stage of before and after introduction of reinforcement particles, mechanical
stirring of the molten alloy for a period of 10 min was achieved by using Zirconiacoated steel impeller. The stirrer was preheated before immersing into the melt,
located approximately to a depth of 2/3 height of the molten metal from the bottom
and run at a speed of 300 rpm.
Again the composite slurry was heated above its liquidus temperature to obtain
fully liquid state, and stir for 10 minutes at an average speed of 500 rpm. A pouring
temperature of 7300C was adopted and the melt was poured into the preheated
castiron mould. Thus composites containing 5, 10, and 15 wt % of SiC were obtained
in the form of rectangular plates 150 X 250 X 15 mm. Again the same procedure is
repeated for the preparation of hybrid composite Al 6061/ SiC/Gr, in terms of 5, 10,
and 15 wt % of mixture of SiC/Gr.

Fig 1. Stir casting setup

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B) Testing of composites:
i) Tensile strength () & Youngs Modulus(E):
To investigate the mechanical behavior of the composites the tensile tests were carried
out using computerized uni-axial tensile testing machine as per ASTM B -557 [10]
standards. Three specimens were used for each test and average value is reported.

Fig 2. Tensile test specimen

ii) Density :
Density of samples of Al/SiC & Al/SiC/Gr composites for different weight fractions
of reinforcement were measured by using Archimedes Principle, standard blocks of
20 X 20 X 15 mm were made as sample pieces and the values are tabulated in table
iii) Buckling loads:
Specimen specifications: Length of the column = 115 mm, Width b = 20 mm, Depth
d = 15 mm, Moment of inertia I = 5625 mm4
a) Experimental buckling loads:
The procedure to predict the buckling load experimentally is to first, fix the test
column between the fixtures centrally and vertically on the computerized universal
testing machine. The upper platen was moved downward direction and allowed to
apply load on the specimen, until the column buckles. As soon as the load applied
reaches the limit load condition (at which arm of the live dial indicator of the UTM
tends to return back on further loading) the limit load value on the dial indicator of the
UTM was noted. The experimental values of limit load of all the tested columns with
fixed - fixed and hinged- hinged end conditions, taken for study are tabulated.

3. (a)
(b)
(c)
Fig.3 shows photograph of (a) the test column specimens (b) specimen testing in
UTM to determine the buckling strength experimentally (c) specimens afer testing

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195

b) Analytical buckling load:

Generally Eulers equation is used to calculate the buckling load whose slenderness
ratio is greater than 80, but for short columns whose slenderness ratio is less than 80,
J.B. Johnsons parabola Equation [11] is used.
i.e;

Where A = cross sectional area, y = yield strength, E = Youngs Modulus, r =

radius of gyration, C = End constant C=1 for Hinged - Hinged ends, C= 0.5 for Fixed
Fixed ends
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
A) Tensile Properties:
S.No Material
Weight %
Tensile Strength (Mpa) Young,S Modulus
Of Reinforcement
E (Gpa)
1
Al 6061/SiC
0
124
68.9
5
132.34
72.31
10
143.46
92.47
15
150.95
110.03
2 Al 6061/SiC/Gr
5
144.73
82.56
10
173.39
117.36
15
192.45
123.41
B) Density
S.NO
1
2

Material

Weight % of Reinforcement
0
5
10
15
Al 6061/ SiC Experimental Density 2.68
2.7
2.71 2.73
Al 6061/ SiC/Gr Experimental Density 2.68 2.66 2.64 2.63

C) Buckling Loads:
i) Fixed Fixed ends
S.No Material

Density

Weight %
Experimental Analytical Percentage
of Reinforcement Load (KN) Load (KN) of Increase %
1
Al 6061/SiC
0
16.43
16.49
0.365
5
16.93
18.39
8.62
10
18.97
19.84
4.58
15
21.33
21.67
1.59
2 Al 6061/SiC/Gr
5
24.84
25.96
4.51
10
26.87
26.95
0.29
15
24.53
27.92
13.81

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ii) Hinged Hinged ends

S.No Material
Weight %
Experimental Analytical Percentage of
of Reinforcement Load (KN) Load (KN) Increase %
(Sic)
1
Al 6061/SiC
0
16.27
16.30
0.18
5
15.73
18.2
15.70
10
18.21
19.64
7.8
15
21.13
21.47
1.6
2 Al 6061/SiC/Gr
5
24.46
25.58
4.57
10
26.43
26.62
0.71
15
23.34
27.63
18.38
Conclusion:
Buckling strength of the composites increases with the increase in weight
percentage of reinforcement.
From the analysis it is found that the buckling strength varies because of
composition of reinforcement and little porosities in the specimens.
The experimental buckling strength of the composite column containing 15%
SiC and Gr reinforcement varies by 13.81 % & 18.38% with the analytical
buckling strength for Fixed-Fixed ends & Hinged Hinged ends respectively.
From the study, the buckling strength of composite column containing 10%
SiC and Gr reinforcement, for both hinged and fixed end conditions have
higher buckling strength, low density and the values are closer to each other.
From the study, it is to be recommended that MMC containing 10% of SiC
and Gr is recommended for automotive applications, because of low density
and higher buckling strength.
References:
[1] Journal of Minerals & Materials Characterization & Engineering, Vol. 8, No.6,
pp 455-467.
[2] Indian Journalof Science and Technology, Vol. 3 No. 12,pp.1184-1187.
[3] European Journal of Scientific Research, Vol.53 No.2 (2011), pp.163-170.
[4] Journal of Material Processing and Technology, 92, pp.17.
[5] IJEATE, 0412-0420.
[6] Materials & Design, 2010, p 2796- 2803
[7] SAE International, The University of Toledo, 2005-01-0987
[8] IJAER, Volume 8, Number 6 (2013) pp. 647-666
[9] Journal of Minerals & Materials Characterization & Engineering, Vol. 8,
No.2, pp 93-106, 2009
[10] ASTM B-557 M Standard for aluminium tensile testing
[11] Machine elements in mechanical design by Robert .L.Mott