Effect of extrusion ratio on the wear behaviour of Al–Si and Al–Mg alloys

Abstract

In this study, the wear behaviour of hot extruded Al–Si and Al–Mg alloys was investigated under dry conditions. Die cast Al–Mg alloy containing 1.7% Mg and Al–Si alloy containing 3.3% Si were extruded at 1.6 and 2 ratios. Mechanical and microstructural characterisations of the extruded alloys were carried out through optical microscopy, hardness measurements and tensile testing. Wear tests were carried out on a pin-on-disc type wear device and the worn surfaces were examined under a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The wear test results revealed that the extrusion ratio had an influence on the wear rate and that the samples extruded at a ratio of 1.6 had a lower wear resistance than the ones extruded at a ratio of 2.