Development and mechanical characterisation of hybrid tungsten carbide/graphite reinforced aluminium metal matrix composites using deep learning techniques
R. Shivashankar, G. Vijaya Prakash, C. Manjunatha, Vinayak B. Hemadri, Κ. Μ. Swamy, C. Durga Prasad, Aman Sharma, K. Mahesh Dutt
Abstract
In this study, the effects of graphite (Gr) and tungsten carbide (WC) particle reinforcements on the mechanical characteristics of aluminium alloy 6061 (Al6061) were examined. Twelve composite samples with varying weight proportions of Gr and WC reinforcements were created using the stir-casting process. Increasing the WC (up to 6%) and Gr (up to 4%) content significantly improved the mechanical characteristics, such as tensile strength, yield strength, and Young's modulus. Notably, the hybrid composite with 4% Gr and 6% WC reinforcement exhibited a 28.66% enhancement in ultimate tensile strength and a 20.10% increase in yield strength compared to the unreinforced Al6061 alloy. This composition also demonstrated the highest hardness, with a 21.33% improvement over the base material. To accurately predict the mechanical properties of these MMCs, a DLSTM (Deep Long Short-Term Memory) regression model was employed, yielding low RMSE and MAE values, which confirmed the model's predictive accuracy. This study highlights the role of WC and Gr reinforcements in improving the mechanical performance of Al6061 composites, providing key insights for developing lightweight, high-strength components suitable for use in automotive and aerospace applications.