Optimization of dry sliding wear parameters of AA336 aluminum alloy-boron carbide and fly ash reinforced hybrid composites by stir casting process

Boron carbide (10 wt%) and fly ash (5 wt%) particles are reinforced in AA336 aluminium alloy by stir casting process. Microstructure of samples are investigated and dry sliding wear factors viz., load (10 N–50 N), sliding distance (500 m–2500 m) and sliding velocity (1 ms⁻¹–5 ms⁻¹) are considered. Response surface methodology is used to design the experiments and wear weight loss of samples is measured. Regression equation is developed to predict the weight loss. Analysis of variance, significance test and confirmation test are used to find the significant wear parameters which affects the weight loss and the wear factors are optimized for obtaining lowest weight loss. Microstructure of samples showed uniform dispersion of particles in AA336 aluminium alloy. Wear test results showed that weight loss increased with increasing load and sliding distance. However, weight loss of samples decreased with increasing sliding velocity. Optimum dry sliding wear factors are found to be a load of 18.1 N, sliding distance of 905.4 m with a sliding velocity of 4.18 ms⁻¹.     

Sliding wear behaviour of SiC particle reinforced 2024 aluminium alloy composites

Abstract

Sliding wear tests on SiC particle reinforced 2024 aluminium alloy composites fabricated by a powder metallurgy technique were carried out, and the effects of SiC particle content, size, and the wear load on the wear properties of the composites were systematically investigated. It was found that the wear resistance of the composites was about two orders of magnitude superior to that of the unreinforced matrix alloy, and increased with increasing SiC particle content and size. Under the conditions of sliding wear used, the effect of SiC particle size on the wear resistance was more significant than that of particle content.

MST/3161     

Dry sliding wear of TiB2 particle reinforced aluminium alloy composites

Abstract

Al–4 wt-%Cu alloy and composites reinforced with 10 and 20 vol.-% of TiB₂ particles were prepared by powder metallurgy followed by hot isostatic pressing. The dry sliding wear behaviour of specimens of these materials was investigated. Pin-on-disc measurements showed that the wear resistance of Al–4Cu alloy can be improved dramatically by the addition of 20 vol.-%TiB₂ particles. This was due to the high hardness of the TiB₂ particles, and to strong particle–matrix bonding. The wear data were found to correlate with SEM observations.     

Dry sliding wear behaviour of zinc oxide reinforced magnesium matrix nano-composites

The main objective of the present work is to investigate the dry sliding wear behaviour of a magnesium matrix composite reinforced with zinc oxide nano-particles. Magnesium matrix composites have many applications, especially in the automotive and aerospace industries, due to their superior specific properties. A magnesium matrix composite with 0.5 vol.% ZnO nano-reinforcement was prepared using powder metallurgy and was hot extruded to eliminate pores. The wear behaviour of the Mg/ZnO nano-composite was investigated by conducting dry sliding tests as a function of wear with an oil-hardened non-shrinking (OHNS) steel disc as the counterpart on a pin-on-disc apparatus. Wear tests were conducted for normal loads of 5, 7.5 and 10 N at sliding velocities of 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 m/s at room temperature. The variations of the friction coefficient and wear rate with the sliding distances (500 m, 1000 m and 1600 m) for different normal loads and sliding velocities were plotted and analysed. To study the dominant sliding wear mechanism for various test conditions, the worn surfaces were analysed using scanning electron microscopy. The wear rate was found to increase with the load and sliding velocity.     

Sliding wear behaviour of Al-Si-Cu composites reinforced with SiC particles

Abstract

The sliding wear behaviours of an unreinforced monolithic Al-Si-Cu alloy and SiC particles reinforced composites containing 5, 13, 38 and 50 vol.-% with diameters of 5.5, 11.5 and 57μm were investigated. The results showed that the wear resistance of the composites is much higher than the monolithic alloy, and the larger and the more SiC particles, the higher the enhancement of the wear resistance. Metallographic examinations revealed that the subsurface of worn composites was composed of both fragmented particles and deformed matrix alloy. The depth of the particle fracture zone in the subsurface varied in the range of 20-35 μm at a sliding distance of 1.8 km, while the plastic deformation zone of the worn subsurface on monolithic alloy was more than 100 μm. Scanning electron microanalyses of the worn surface, subsurface microstructure and debris suggested that the depth of the particle fracture zone became smaller as the diameter of SiC particles increased. Increasing the hardness and decreasing the applied wear stress changed the debris morphology from flake to very small lumps.     

Dry sliding wear behavior of stir cast aluminium base short steel fiber reinforced composites

Dry sliding wears behavior of die cast aluminium alloy composites reinforced with copper-coated short steel fibers were investigated using a pin-on-disk wear-testing machine. The composites were prepared by liquid metal route using vortex method. The weight percentage of copper-coated steel fibers was varied from 2.5 to 10. The density and hardness of the composite increased linearly with increasing wt% of steel fibers. The wear rate decreased by 40% with addition of 10% weight percentage of fibers. A linear dependence of wear rate on fiber content and hardness of MMC is observed. The unreinforced aluminium and composites containing upto 5-wt% of fibers exhibited a sliding distance dependent transition from severe to mild wear. However, composites containing 10-wt% fiber showed only mild wear for all sliding distance. It was also observed that with increase in the fiber content to 10-wt% the coefficient of friction decreased by 22%. The duration of occurrence of the severe wear regime and the wear rate decreased with increasing fiber content. For the composite the wear rate in the mild wear regime decreased with increase in fiber content reaching a minimum. From the analysis of wear data and detail examination of (a) wear surface and (b) wear debris two modes of wear have been identified to be operative, in these materials. These are (i) adhesive wear in the case of unreinforced matrix and in MMC with low wt% (upto 5-wt%) fibers (ii) abrasive wear in case of MMC with high wt% of fibers.     

Optimization of dry sliding wear behaviour of industrial wastes reinforced aluminium based metal matrix composites

Marble dust and basalt powder are industrial waste generated during the machining of marble stone and basalt rock. This paper presents an approach for the optimization of dry sliding wear parameters of aluminium 7075 reinforced with marble dust and basalt powder hybrid metal matrix composite using Taguchi based grey relational analysis. In this work, the composite is fabricated by stir casting technique and the wear parameters namely load, sliding velocity and sliding distance are optimized with consideration of multi responses such as wear rate and coefficient of friction. Experiments are conducted as per Taguchi's L9 orthogonal array. A grey relational analysis is carried out and grey relational grade is obtained. Based on the grey relational grade, optimum level of wear parameters has been identified by analysis of variance. The test results are validated by conducting the confirmation test. Experimental results have shown that the sliding velocity is the most effective factor among the control parameters on dry sliding wear, followed by the sliding distance and load. Finally, the micro structural investigations on the worn surfaces are performed by scanning electron microscope.     

Reciprocal sliding wear behaviour of B4C particulate reinforced aluminum alloy composites

Aluminum based composites reinforced with B₄C particles were prepared by cryomilling and subsequent hot pressing steps. The cryomilled powders dispersed with 5 wt.% or 10 wt.% B₄C particles were hot pressed under a pressure of 600 MPa at 350 °C. Microstructural studies conducted on the composites indicated that homogeneous distribution of the B₄C particles in the Al matrix and a good interface between them had been achieved. According to the results of reciprocating wear tests carried out by utilizing alumina and steel balls, wear resistance increased with increasing B₄C particle content.     

Dry sliding wear behaviour of AA 6351-ZrB2 in situ composite at room temperature

In the present work, AA 6351-xZrB₂ [x = 0, 3, 6 and 9 weight percentage (wt.%)] in situ composites have been prepared by the reaction of mixture of K₂ZrF₆ and KBF₄ with molten aluminium alloy at a reaction temperature of 850 °C. The in situ prepared composites were characterized by using scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and microhardness analysis. The sliding wear properties of the prepared composite at room temperature were estimated by a pin-on-disc wear testing equipment using the composite material; the pins were machined according to standard sizes, and the tests were conducted as per the standards recommended by the ASTM G99-95a designation of different weighing percentage at room temperature. The wear characteristics of the composite in the as-cast, the solutionized and the solutionized-aged conditions were studied by conducting sliding wear test at the load of 9.81 N. The results indicated that the wear rate was decreased with an increase in the weight percentage of ZrB₂ and the wear resistance was increased with an increase in the fraction of ZrB₂ particulates in composite before and after heat treatment.     

Microstructure and some mechanical properties of fly ash particulate reinforced AA6061 aluminum alloy composites prepared by compocasting

Fly ash has gathered widespread attention as a potential reinforcement for aluminum matrix composites (AMCs) to enhance the properties and reduce the cost of production. Aluminum alloy AA6061 reinforced with various amounts (0, 4, 8 and 12 wt.%) of fly ash particles were prepared by compocasting method. Fly ash particles were incorporated into the semi solid aluminum melt. X-ray diffraction patterns of the prepared AMCs revealed the presence of fly ash particles without the formation of any other intermetallic compounds. The microstructures of the AMCs were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. The AMCs were characterized with the homogeneous dispersion of fly ash particles having clear interface and good bonding to the aluminum matrix. The incorporation of fly ash particles improved the microhardness and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the AMCs.     

粉煤灰增强MC尼龙复合材制备与性能研究

为提高MC尼龙的综合性能,在己内酰胺熔融单体中加入粉煤灰,通过碱催化阴离子聚合反应制备粉煤灰增强尼龙复合材料(FMCPA),采用扫描电镜和拉伸实验对复合材料的显微组织进行了观察和分析,并对其力学性能和摩擦性能进行了测试.结果表明,原状粉煤灰经活化处理后变得均匀细小,但与基体间存在明显的界面空隙,而经活化偶联处理的粉煤灰均匀分布在复合材料中,与尼龙基体的界面结合良好.复合材料的拉伸断面有明显的牵引痕迹,粉煤灰颗粒起到钉紧作用.粉煤灰质量分数较低时,尼龙复合材料以粘着磨损为主,伴有磨粒磨损;随着粉煤灰质量分数的增加,磨粒磨损加重.粉煤灰的加入提高了复合材料的力学性能,同时改善其耐磨损性能,当粉煤灰质量分数为20%时复合材料的综合性能最好.     

The effects of various reinforcements on dry sliding wear behaviour of AA 6061 nanocomposites

The present work aims to investigate the dry sliding wear behaviour of AA 6061 nanocomposites reinforced with various nanolevel reinforcements, such as titanium carbide (TiC), gamma phase alumina (γ-Al₂O₃) and hybrid (TiC + Al₂O₃) nanoparticles with two weight percentages (wt.%) prepared by 30 h of mechanical alloying (MA). The tests were performed using a pin-on-disk wear tester by sliding these pin specimens at sliding speeds of 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 m/s against an oil-hardened non-shrinking (OHNS) steel disk at room temperature. Wear tests were conducted for normal loads of 5, 7 and 10 N at different sliding speeds at room temperature. The variations of the friction coefficient and the wear rate with the sliding distances (500 m, 1000 m and 1600 m) for different normal loads and sliding velocities were plotted and investigated. To observe the wear characteristics and to investigate the wear mechanism, the morphologies of the worn surfaces were analysed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The formation of an oxide layer on the worn surface was examined by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The wear rate was found to increase with the load and sliding velocity for all prepared nanocomposites. Hybrid (TiC + Al₂O₃) reinforced AA 6061 nanocomposites had lower wear rates and friction coefficients compared with TiC and Al₂O₃ reinforced AA 6061 nanocomposites.     

Synthesis of fly ash particle reinforced A356 Al composites and their characterization

A356 Al–fly ash particle composites were fabricated using stir-cast technique and hot extrusion. Composites containing 6 and 12 vol.% fly ash particles were processed. Narrow size range (53–106 μm) and wide size range (0.5–400 μm) fly ash particles were used. Hardness, tensile strength, compressive strength and damping characteristics of the unreinforced alloy and composites have been measured. Bulk hardness, matrix microhardness, 0.2% proof stress of A356 Al–fly ash composites are higher compared to that of the unreinforced alloy. Additions of fly ash lead to increase in hardness, elastic modulus and 0.2% proof stress. Composites reinforced with narrow size range fly ash particle exhibit superior mechanical properties compared to composites with wide size range particles. A356 Al–fly ash MMCs were found to exhibit improved damping capacity when compared to unreinforced alloy at ambient temperature.     

Three-body abrasive wear behaviour of carbon and glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites

Three-body abrasive wear behaviour of carbon–epoxy (C–E) and glass–epoxy (G–E) composites has been investigated. The effect of abrading distance, viz., 270, 540, 810 and 1080 m and different loads of 22 and 32 N at 200 rpm have been studied. The wear volume loss and specific wear rate as a function of load and abrading distance were determined. The wear volume loss increases with increasing load/abrading distance. However, the specific wear rate decreases with increase in abrading distance and increases with the load. However, C–E composite showed better abrasion wear resistance compared to G–E composite. The worn surface features have been examined using scanning electron microscope (SEM). SEM micrographs of abraded composite specimens revealed the high percentage of broken glass fiber compared to carbon fiber and also better interfacial adhesion between epoxy and carbon fiber.     

Microstructure of AA2024-SiC nanostructured metal matrix composites

Nanostructured metal matrix composites (NMMCs) in large-dimension billets were fabricated by hot isostatic pressing (HIPing) of cryomilled powders consisting of AA2024 alloy reinforced by 25 wt.% SiC particles. Microstructure of the bulk nanostructured composites and cryomilled powders was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In addition, mechanical properties of the bulk nanocomposites were also addressed.     

Comparative analysis of wear behavior of garnet and fly ash reinforced Al7075 hybrid composite

Al7075 hybrid composites reinforced with varying weight percentage (0 wt.%, 5 wt.%, 10 wt.%, 15 wt.%) of each of garnet and fly ash were fabricated and characterized for their comparative wear assessment. The sliding wear test was conducted on a reciprocating tribometer in dry medium under the working conditions of applied normal load (2 N, 4 N, 6 N, 8 N), sliding velocities (0.04 m/s, 0.08 m/s, 0.12 m/s, 0.16 m/s), sliding distance (20 m, 40 m, 60 m, 80 m) and working temperature (25 °C, 50 °C, 75 °C, 100 °C). The experiments were performed as per steady‐state condition and Taguchi (L₂₅) orthogonal array design to evaluate specific wear rate of the Al7075 hybrid composites. The finding of results indicated that the wear rate was decreased with the increase in the filler content in both the case of garnet and fly ash reinforced Al7075 hybrid composites. The results from Taguchi experiments suggested that the filler content and load were the most significant factors affecting wear behavior of composites while temperature and sliding distance are the least significant factors. Also, the garnet reinforced Al7075 hybrid composite indicated less specific wear rate as compared to that of fly ash reinforced Al7075 hybrid composite.     

Impression creep behaviour of TiB2 particles reinforced steel matrix composites

Impression creep behaviour of the powder metallurgy processed steel matrix composites was investigated under constant stress at different temperatures in the range of 873–973?K. By using the power-law relationship, the estimated activation energy for unreinforced steel was found to be 149?kJ?mol^?1 and steel reinforced with 2 and 4?vol.-% TiB₂ was found to be 298 and 338?kJ?mol^?1, respectively indicating better creep resistance of the reinforced steel matrix composites. Dislocation creep is the dominant creep mechanism based on the calculated values of stress exponent and activation energy. Hence, this method can be used to assess the potential of steel matrix composites for use as structural materials for high-temperature application.     

Mechanical,corrosion, and sliding wear behavior of intermetallics reinforced austenitic stainless steel composites

The present work investigates the effect of supersolidus sintering and intermetallics (Ni₃Al, Fe₃Al) additions on the densification, mechanical, tribological, and electrochemical behavior of sintered austenitic (316L) stainless steels. The performances of the supersolidus liquid phase sintered (SLPS) compacts are compared with the conventional solid-state sintered (SSS) compacts of similar compositions. Correspondingly, the sintering was carried out at two different temperatures 1200 °C (SSS) and 1400 °C (SLPS). Supersolidus sintering results in significant improvement in densification, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, strength, and ductility in both straight as well as aluminide added composites.     

Dry sliding wear behaviour of a conventional and recycled high pressure die cast magnesium alloys

The dry sliding wear behaviour of a conventional and a recycled magnesium alloy produced by high pressure die casting was assessed by ball-on-disc tests under three different loads at a constant sliding velocity. The recycled alloy showed a lower friction coefficient and a lower wear rate when compared to the conventional alloy. A higher hardness and a relatively higher volume fraction of β-phase with a denser distribution near the surface were the reasons for the improved wear behaviour.     

Dry rolling/sliding wear of nanostructured pearlite

The dry rolling–sliding wear behaviour of pearlite that has an interlamellar spacing of just 85 nm has been characterised. Its wear resistance is found to be comparable to that of much harder bainitic steels. Microstructural observations indicate that there is substantial plastic deformation of both ferrite and cementite components of pearlite in the vicinity of the wear surface. Plasticity is not expected from Hertzian analysis that assumes a smooth contact surface. Instead, it is likely to be a consequence of exaggerated stresses due to surface roughness. The material remains ductile to shear strains in the order of 4. Diffraction data indicate that the coherent domain size is reduced to about half the interlamellar spacing and that some of the cementite may dissolve and contribute to the expansion of the lattice parameter of ferrite.