Correlations Between Microstructure and Dry Friction Wear Behavior of Zn–38Al–3.5Cu–1.2 Mg Alloy Reinforced with SiC Nanoparticles

Abstract

In order to improve the tribological properties of zinc-based alloy, SiC nanoparticles (an average grain size of 100 nm) were reinforced into Zn–38Al–3.5Cu–1.2 Mg alloy through a high-pressure jetting powder and semisolid stirring-assisted ultrasonic vibration process. In the present study, the effects of different SiC contents (0 wt%, 0.07 wt%, 0.13 wt%, and 0.22 wt%) on microstructural properties and wear behavior of the as-cast alloy were investigated in detail. The results indicated that a uniform and dispersive distribution of SiC nanoparticles was observed in the Zn–Al matrix, thus leading to a significant enhancement in wear behavior of Zn–38Al–3.5Cu–1.2 Mg alloy. Further, with the increasing mass fraction of SiC nanoparticles, wear resistance of Zn–38Al–3.5Cu–1.2 Mg alloy was noticeably improved in spite of the increasing friction temperature. The increased wear resistance of Zn–38Al–3.5Cu–1.2 Mg alloy at high friction temperature could be attributed to the presence of uniformly dispersed thermostable SiC nanoparticles, which inhibited the transformation of the abrasion-resistant phase of α + η mixture to the soft phase of α and η on the friction heating interface.