Effect of Organic and Inorganic Reinforcement on Tribological Behaviour of Aluminium A356 Matrix Hybrid Composite

Abstract

Composites of aluminium matrix with organic (rice husk ash, RHA) and inorganic (fly ash) reinforcement at different weight fractions were fabricated by double-stir casting. The tribological behaviour of the hybrid composites was investigated under dry sliding conditions using different applied loads, sliding distances and sliding speeds. The aims of this work are use of waste material and investigation of the tribological performance, economic issues, environmental impact on wear loss, and coefficient of friction to increase the lifespan of such materials. Attempts were made to examine the effect of addition of waste particles in the aluminium composites on the sliding wear rate, which is of significant importance in the engineering field. The wear mechanism was analysed based on the wear debris and examination of wear tracks on the worn surfaces. The results showed that the A356/10 %RHA–10 %fly ash hybrid composite exhibited superior wear resistance compared with the aluminium matrix for use in engineering applications.