Dry Sliding Friction and Wear Behaviour of AA6082-TiB2 in Situ Composites

Abstract

In this study a composite with AA6082 as the matrix and TiB2 as the reinforcement has been fabricated by in situ method. The effect of TiB2 addition on the mechanical and tribological behaviour has been investigated. The purpose of the study is to improve the friction and wear properties of AA6082 so as to widen the engineering applications of the alloy. The reinforcement varied as (0, 3, 6, 9 wt%). The mechanical characteristics such as hardness and density improved with the addition of the reinforcement particles. The microhardness also shows slight increase in its value with increase in reaction time. The microstructural examination depicted grain refinement of the cast composites with increase in reinforcement. The wear resistance also increases with the addition of the reinforcement. The coefficient of friction exhibited an increasing trend and thereafter it decreased with increasing reinforcement at lower load. However, at higher load, an increase in the coefficient of friction is observed with an increase in reinforcement. SEM and EDS analysis revealed distinct wear mechanisms for different composites and different loads. The present study reveals that with addition of hard TiB2 particles the mechanical and tribological of AA6082 are improved. The results suggest that the developed composite material could be a potential material for various engineering applications.