High-stress abrasive wear behaviour of a zinc-based alloy and its composite compared with a cast iron under varying track radius and load conditions

Abstract

Abstract An attempt has been made in this investigation to study the high-stress abrasive wear behaviour of a zinc-based alloy composite containing SiC particle reinforcement. The influence of the reinforcement phase on wear behaviour was investigated by characterizing the zinc-based matrix alloy under identical test conditions. A cast iron was also investigated on similar lines for comparison purposes. The effects of track radius, test duration and applied load on the wear response of the samples were studied. The wear properties studied were wear rate, friction coefficient and frictional heating. The zinc-based matrix alloy comprised of primary α dendrites, eutectoid α + η and e phase. The composite revealed presence of SiC particles in addition to the features of the matrix alloy. The cast iron showed graphite in a matrix of pearlite and ferrite. The zinc-based matrix alloy attained maximum wear rate and frictional heating, while those for the composite were the least; the response of the cast iron was intermediate between the two in general. The trend observed by friction coefficient was somewhat different in the sense that it was the least for the cast iron while the maximum was still noted for the zinc-based matrix alloy, the composite revealing intermediate response. The wear rate and frictional heating increased with test duration while the friction coefficient was affected in an opposite manner. Increasing load and track radius caused the wear rate, frictional heating and friction coefficient to increase. The wear behaviour of the samples has been substantiated through the characteristics of wear surfaces, debris particles and the abrasive medium.