Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Ceramics International journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ceramint Enhancement of thermal, mechanical, ignition and damping response of magnesium using nano-ceria particles Milli Suchita Kujur a,b , Vyasaraj Manakari b , Gururaj Parande b , Khin Sandar Tun b , Ashis Mallick a, ⁎ , Manoj Gupta b a Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (ISM), Dhanbad, Jharkhand 826004, India b Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117576, Singapore ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Rare earth oxide Magnesium Cerium oxide Nanocomposite Ignition Compression ABSTRACT Magnesium (Mg)-based nanocomposites owing to their low density and biocompatibility are being targeted for transportation and biomedical sectors. In order to support a sustainable environment, the prime aim of this study was to develop non-toxic magnesium-based nanocomposites for a wide spectrum of applications. To support this objective, cerium oxide nanoparticles (0.5 vol%, 1 vol%, and 1.5 vol%) reinforced Mg composites are developed in this study using blend-press-sinter powder metallurgy technique. The microstructural studies exhibited lim- ited amounts of porosity in Mg and Mg-CeO 2 samples (< 1%). Increasing presence of CeO 2 nanoparticles (up to 1.5 vol%) led to a progressive increase in microhardness, dimensional stability, damping capacity and ignition resistance of magnesium. The compressive strengths increased with the increasing addition of the nanoparticles with a significant enhancement in the fracture strain (up to ~48%). Superior energy absorption was observed for all the composite samples prior to compressive fracture. Further, enhancement in thermal, mechanical and damping characteristics of pure Mg is correlated with microstructural changes due to the presence of the CeO 2 nanoparticles. 1. Introduction Magnesium (Mg) based materials are the lightest (density ~1.74 g/ cc) of all structural metals including iron, titanium and aluminium based alloys [1]. In addition to properties like low density and high specific mechanical properties, Mg-based materials also exhibit an ex- cellent combination of specific strength, castability, machinability, re- cyclability, thermal stability, damping behavior and electromagnetic radiation resistance [2]. These advantages make Mg-based materials an excellent choice for aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics and sports sectors [3]. Worsening climate and the global move to cut the carbon dioxide emissions by 2 billion tons by 2025 to keep the tem- perature rise within 2 °C from the pre-industrial levels (Paris agreement 2017) is expected to be catalytic in increasing the usage of Mg-based materials in very near future [4]. Further, the on-going demand for bio- degradable materials that possess modulus properties close to that of natural bone alongside excellent biocompatibility is also making Mg- based materials promising candidates in orthopaedic applications [5]. Mg as a biodegradable, bioresorbable and biocompatible metal en- hances cell adhesion and osteoblastic activity and is also responsible for improved bone regeneration and healing [6]. Further, biomaterials should possess adequate strength to withstand adequate mechanical loads besides exhibiting good biocompatibility [7]. However, there are factors such as limited ductility, limited strength, lower creep re- sistance, high corrosion rate and perceived easy susceptibility to igni- tion that limit the adaptability of Mg in structural and biomedical ap- plications [8]. An effective way to overcome these limitations is by developing novel composites with the addition of inexpensive low volume fraction of nanoparticulates (NPs) into Mg matrix [9]. The introduction of NPs into Mg matrix at lower concentrations assists in achieving superior specific strength and ductility properties by means of dispersion strengthening without adversely affecting the density of the material [10,11]. For example, Tun et al. [10] developed Mg-ZnO nanocompo- sites using microwave sintering assisted powder metallurgy (P/M) technique and reported that Mg-1.5 vol% ZnO nanocomposite achieved proof stress of 125 MPa with an elongation of ~17% which is much higher than commercial Mg-alloys like AZ31, AZ91, WE43, and ZK21. In addition to ZnO, other metal oxides such as Al 2 O 3, TiO 2 , ZrO 2 and SiO 2 have been used as potential reinforcements for Mg due to their superior mechanical properties and thermal stability at elevated tem- peratures [12]. The metal oxide NPs are chemically stable and do not https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2018.05.133 Received 7 March 2018; Received in revised form 10 May 2018; Accepted 15 May 2018 ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: mal123_us@yahoo.com (A. Mallick), mpegm@nus.edu.sg (M. Gupta). Ceramics International xxx (xxxx) xxx–xxx 0272-8842/ © 2018 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Please cite this article as: Kujur, M.S., Ceramics International (2018), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2018.05.133