Study of the Influence of Nanoparticle Reinforcement on the Mechanical and Tribological Performance of Aluminum Matrix Composites—A Review

This study investigates the influence of nano-sized reinforcements on aluminum matrix composites’ mechanical and tribological properties. Microstructural analysis revealed that introducing nanoparticles led to grain refinement, reducing the grain size from 129.7 μm to 41.3 μm with 2 wt.% TiO2 addition. Furthermore, ultrasonic-assisted squeeze casting of AA6061 composites reinforced with TiO2 and Al2O3 resulted in a 52% decrease in grain size, demonstrating nano-reinforcements’ effectiveness in refining the matrix structure. Despite these advantages, the high surface energy of nanoparticles causes agglomeration, which can undermine composite performance. However, ultrasonic-assisted stir casting reduced…