Abstract
This study investigates the impact of varying concentrations of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) as a foaming agent on the microstructure and mechanical properties of aluminum metal foam produced from industrial waste Al-6063 cast aluminum alloy. The increasing generation of aluminum waste necessitates effective recycling methods, and metal foams offer promising applications due to their lightweight and mechanical properties. The objective of this research is to optimize the foaming agent concentration to enhance the performance of aluminum foam. Aluminum foams were prepared by melting Al-6063 alloy and incorporating different concentrations of CaCO3 (1%, 2%, 3%, and 4% by weight). The foams were characterized through tensile, compression, and hardness tests, alongside optical microstructure analysis.
Results indicated that increasing the foaming agent concentration led to larger pore sizes and reduced density, with the mechanical properties showing a decline in tensile strength, compressive strength, and hardness as the concentration increased. Specifically, the foam with 2% CaCO3 exhibited the best balance of mechanical properties, achieving a tensile strength of 61.2 MPa and a compressive strength of 290 MPa.
This study highlights the critical relationship between foaming agent concentration and the mechanical performance of aluminum metal foam, providing insights for optimizing production processes and tailoring materials for various industrial applications. Further research is recommended to explore additional foaming agents and their effects on foam characteristics.
Keywords: Scrap Aluminium Alloy – Al-6063 Alloy – Al-6063 Alloy – Foaming Agent – Mechanical Properties
In: Kurniawan, D., Nor, F.M. (eds) Advances in Manufacturing Processes and Smart Manufacturing Systems. GCMM 2023. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 1214. Springer, Cham.