Tribological behavior of aluminum matrix composites containing complex metallic alloys AlCuFeB or AlCuFeCr particles

• Published in: Wear 2011-03, Vol.270 (7), p.528-534
• Main Authors: Lu, Dong, Celis, J.P., Kenzari, S., Fournée, V., Zhou, D.B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abrasion; Abrasion resistance; Alloys; Aluminum; Aluminum base alloys; Applied sciences; Chemical Sciences; Drying; Exact sciences and technology; Friction, wear, lubrication; Intermetallics; Machine components; Material chemistry; Mechanical engineering. Machine design; Metal matrix composites; Nanoindentation; Nanomaterials; Nanostructure; Sliding wear; Tribochemistry; Wear testing
• ISSN: 0043-1648; 1873-2577
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wear.2011.01.007

▶ Friction and wear behavior of aluminum matrix composites containing hard complex metallic alloys (CMA) as reinforcing particles. ▶ CMA-particles maintain their high hardness after sintering. ▶ Wear loss of aluminum under dry sliding is strongly reduced by the incorporation of CMA-particles. ▶ Predominant wear mechanisms are affected by CMA-particles. The tribological behavior of sintered aluminum metal matrix composites (MMCs) containing various volume fractions of particles made of complex metallic alloys (CMAs) was investigated in a reciprocating dry sliding tribo-tester operated in ambient air against 10 mm diameter Al 2O 3 balls. The Al-based MMCs tested contained either 15 μm size AlCuFeB or 25 μm size AlCuFeCr-particles. An improvement in the dry sliding wear resistance of aluminum was achieved by the incorporation of these CMA-particles acting as a second phase reinforcement. The wear resistance depends on the volume fraction of CMA-particles but not on their composition, nano-hardness or size. These Al-based MMCs containing CMA-particles exhibit however a higher coefficient of friction than pure aluminum under dry sliding against a ceramic counterbody. A clear correlation was not found between composition, nano-hardness, size or volume percent of CMA-particles, and coefficient of friction. The dominant wear mechanisms active on MMCs containing either AlCuFeB or AlCuFeCr-particles are abrasion and adhesion, but abrasion dominates in the case of Al-MMCs containing AlCuFeCr-particles.