Eco-Hybrid Aluminum AA5042 Composites Reinforced with Soda-Lime Waste Glass and Fly Ash: Mechanical, Thermal, and Wear Performance for Pulley Applications

This study investigates the fabrication and performance of an eco-hybrid aluminum AA5042 composite reinforced with waste soda–lime glass and fly ash to enhance its mechanical, thermal, and tribological behavior for pulley applications. The composite was produced via stir casting, and its mechanical properties—hardness, toughness, and tensile strength—were optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) based on three variables: soda-lime glass waste content, fly ash content, and preheat temperature. EDXRF, and SEM analyses confirmed the presence and uniform dispersion of reinforcements within the aluminum matrix, showing good interfacial bonding and minimal porosity. The RSM models revealed that both reinforcements significantly improved hardness and strength due to the introduction of hard ceramic phases, while excessive additions led to agglomeration and interface weakening. Preheat temperature exhibited a mild negative linear but a positive quadratic effect, indicating that moderate heating enhances bonding and porosity reduction. Toughness increased with moderate reinforcement levels and controlled preheating, though excessive fly ash and temperature reduced ductility due to embrittlement. Tensile strength improved with soda–lime glass addition and moderate preheating, but declined beyond optimal reinforcement levels from poor dispersion and matrix imbalance. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed excellent thermal stability with less than 2% weight loss up to 1000 °C, while wear analysis indicated low wear depth (≈0.266 µm) and steady wear behavior. Overall, integrating waste soda–lime glass and fly ash into aluminum AA5042 yields a sustainable, lightweight composite with superior strength, hardness, wear resistance, and thermal stability—ideal for pulley and other high-performance engineering applications.