Effects of Silicon and Deformation Ratio on the Mechanical Behavior of Nickel Aluminum Bronze (NAB) Alloy

The increasing demand for new materials to meet the challenges of adequate resistance to deformation and corrosion in various architectural and industrial sectors especially in marine environment has necessitated the development of metal matrix composites. This paper aim at investigating the influence of silicon and deformation on the mechanical properties of the nickel aluminum bronze (NAB) alloy. Materials for the NAB alloy were sourced locally; sand casting method was used to develop six different compositions with varied weight (0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10%) percent of silicon addition. The developed material was subjected to 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% cold deformation (rolling). The mechanical properties of the NAB alloy were studied using hardness, tensile strength, and elongation tests. The results showed that the hardness of the NAB alloy increased significantly with increase in the silicon content, similarly with the increase in deformation ratio, the hardness also improved. The tensile strength and elongation also showed an increase with increase in silicon content and deformation ratio. Increasing the silicon content and deformation ratio led to improved mechanical properties of the NAB alloy. The findings show that further modifications in the silicon content and deformation ratio have insignificant effect on the mechanical properties of the NAB alloy.