In recent years, many alloys as well as composites of aluminium were developed for enhanced material performance. AA 6061 is an aluminium alloy that has extensive applications due to its superior material characteristics. It is a popular choice of matrix for aluminium matrix composite (AMC) fabrication. This study provides a review on AA 6061 aluminium alloy matrix composites produced through the stir-casting process. It focusses on conventional stir-casting fabrication, process parameters, various reinforcements used, and the mechanical properties of the AA 6061 composites. Several research studies indicated that the stir-casting method is widely used and suitable for fabricating AA 6061 composites with reinforcements such as SiC, B₄C, Al₂O₃, TiC, as well as other inorganic, organic, hybrid, and nanomaterials. The majority of the studies showed that an increase in the reinforcement content enhanced the mechanical and tribological properties of the composites. Furthermore, hybrid composites showed better material properties than single reinforcement composites. The usage of industrial and agricultural residues in hybrid composites is also reported. Future studies could focus on the fabrication of AA 6061 nanocomposites through stir casting and their material characterisation, since they have great potential as advanced materials.

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is an advanced machining method which removes metal by a series of recurring electrical discharges between an electrode and a conductive workpiece, submerged in a dielectric fluid. Even though EDM techniques are widely used to cut hard materials, low efficiency and high tool wear remain remarkable challenges in this process. Various studies, such as mixing different powders to dielectric fluids, are progressing to improve their efficiency. This paper reviews advances in the powder-mixed EDM process. Furthermore, studies about various powders used for the process and its comparison are carried out. This review looks at the objectives of achieving a more efficient metal removal rate, reduction in tool wear, and improved surface quality of the powder-mixed EDM process. Moreover, this paper helps researchers select suitable powders which are exhibiting better results and identifying different aspects of powder-mixed dielectric fluid of EDM.

Biofuel is an attractive alternative to fossil fuels since it is renewable and biodegradable—it is mainly made from edible and non-edible sources. Globally, the usage of renewable biofuels is expected to rise quickly. The rising production and use of biofuel has prompted an examination of its environmental impact. Biodiesel is a fatty acid methyl ester generated from sustainable lipid feedstock that substitutes petroleum-based diesel fuel. Non-food oils, such as Jatropha, waste cooking oil, and by-products of vegetable oil from refineries provide inexpensive feedstock for biodiesel manufacturing. Due to its increased oil yield, adequate fatty acid content, tolerance to various agro-climatic conditions, and short gestation period, Jatropha may be one of the most promoted oilseed crops worldwide. Furthermore, Jatropha can provide several economic and agronomic advantages because it is a biodegradable, renewable plant. This study examines whether Jatropha can be considered as the most preferable biofuel in the future. The study begins with an overview of current fuels, including their classifications, dynamic changes in consumption, advantages, and cross-examining the limitations to identify the significance of bringing an alternate fuel. Then we elaborate on the outlook of the Jatropha crop, followed by evaluating its availability, opportunity, and advantages over other biofuels. Subsequently, the extraction methods, including the transesterification process and integration methods for improving the efficiency of Jatropha fuel, are also reviewed in the paper. We also assess the current stage of Jatropha cultivation in different countries with its challenges. The review concludes with future perspectives and directions for research.

The additive manufacturing (AM) process is used for joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer, contrary to subtractive manufacturing methods. This technology plays a significant role in fabricating orthopedic implants, especially parts of hip implants (HI), such as femoral head, stem, neck, polyethylene linear, acetabular shell, and so on, using biomaterials. These biodegradable resources are those that can be utilized as tissue substitutes since they are accepted by live tissues. Here, the study is to examine the most preferable AM process and biomaterial used for making HI, including its manufacturing methods, compositions, types, advantages, and defects and cross-examining the limitations to bring some new technology in the future. Then we elaborate on the outlook of the most preferable material, followed by evaluating its biocompatibility, detailed application, and structural defects occurring while using it as an HI. Subsequently, the physical characteristics and design constraints are also reviewed in the paper. We assess the current stage of the topology optimization technique (TO) with respect to the characteristics of newly designed implants. The review concludes with future perspectives and directions for research.

Modern hip arthroplasty still faces the issue of wear in the articulating surface and wear induced debris. Thus, the design of hip implant is highly important for its longevity. Experimental demonstration of wear in hip implant involves both time and cost and, in this regard, finite element analysis acts as a suitable alternative. In this work, the wear characteristics of design modified and surface modified femoral head is studied. Femoral head is assumed to be made of Ti₆Al₄V and liner material is taken as UHMWPE. Design of the femoral head is modified by providing grooves on the femoral head as well as by providing an additional liner on the femoral head surface. Surface of the femoral head is modified with square or circular dimples. This work involves the development of femoral head model and its simulation using ANSYS under static load condition to get the contact pressure and sliding distance. Modified Archard's wear equation uses the contact stress and sliding distance to determine the wear volume produced per year and the obtained results are compared with that in the available literature. The study shows that the wear rate reduced up to 10% by surface modification and 3% by design modifications.

Hip replacement surgery is a common procedure that relies on the implant's design to withstand daily activities. This study aims to investigate the impact of different surface groove designs on the performance of solid hip implants using finite element analysis (FEA) and optimization techniques. The study evaluates the influence of grooves on the stress distribution and total deformation of the implant, considering three designs: no grooves, horizontal grooves, and vertical grooves on the surface of the femoral head. The simulations were conducted using Ansys Mechanical, and the optimization process was carried out using the general full factorial design method in Minitab software. The results demonstrate that the groove design significantly affects the stress distribution and wear of the implant. The vertical groove design shows better overall results, indicating the best performance. The study also evaluated the influence of force on the performance of the implant, with different load range. The optimization process using the general full factorial design method revealed that the optimal groove design was a vertical model with an optimized groove depth and width. These findings offer valuable insights into the impact of surface groove designs on the performance of solid hip implants, leading to better patient outcomes and longer implant lifespan. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the effect of surface groove design on the performance of solid hip implants.