Abstract
To enhance the anti-wear property of aluminum–silicon (Al–Si) alloy, three processing technologies—chemical etching, mechanical honing and laser finishing—were compared in terms of their effects on anti-wear performance. The treated Al–Si alloy cylinder liner samples were worn against a piston ring by a reciprocating sliding tribotester; the anti-wear performance was represented by the friction coefficient and wear loss; and the wear mechanism was determined by establishing stress contact models. The results showed that the best time for both the chemical etching and mechanical honing treatments was 2 min, and the optimal laser power was 1000 W for the laser finishing treatment. The three processing technologies could all remove the aluminum layer and make the silicon protrude on the surface to avoid the plastic flow of aluminum during the friction process. The laser finishing could not only protrude the silicon particle but also make its edge rounded and smooth, which decreased the stress concentration. Therefore, the Al–Si alloy cylinder liner treated with laser finishing had the best anti-wear performance.
Highlights
Lightweight materials in automobile construction help save energy
The surface of the standard Al–Si alloy cylinder liner is usually treated by chemical etching, so that the surface aluminum is etched and the silicon particles are exposed from the Materials 2019, 12, 1273; doi:10.3390/ma12081273
A new self-designed honing machine was developed, which was innovative and able to enhance the anti-wear property of an Al–Si alloy cylinder liner
Summary
Lightweight materials in automobile construction help save energy. Aluminum–silicon (Al–Si) alloy has been widely used in lightweight engine components for building fuel-efficient vehicles [1–6]. The Al–Si alloy cylinder liner material has the characteristics of a soft aluminum matrix inlaid with hard silicon particles, and the ideal surface is one in which the hard silicon particles are convex to bear the heavy load, and the relatively concave aluminum base portion can store oil to promote lubrication. Such a structure can enhance the anti-wear properties of Al–Si alloy cylinder liners [12–14].
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have