Dry sliding wear behavior of SiC and B 4 C-reinforced AA6351 metal matrix composite produced by stir casting process

Abstract

In the present study, the influence of Boron Carbide (B₄C) particles on the dry sliding wear behavior of aluminum matrix alloy (AA6351) – Silicon Carbide (SiC) composite – produced by the stir casting method is investigated. The wear test is carried out by pin-on-disc apparatus over an applied load range of 20–100 N and sliding velocity ranging from 1 to 5 m/s. The worn surfaces are discussed in detail with the Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM) image. The experimental results show that the maximum wear rate of 21.91 × 10⁻³mm³/m is achieved for the AA-5 wt. % SiC composite at 100 N load and 2 m/s sliding velocity. However, the inclusion of B₄C particles on the composite reduced the wear rate significantly. Thus, the increased wt. % of B₄C particles in the composite exhibits a good wear resistance behavior at higher load and sliding velocity conditions.