Influence of WC Particulate Reinforcement on the Mechanical Properties and Sliding Wear of Al6061 Alloys

Abstract

The research community has acknowledged the superiority of composite material properties in comparison to conventional materials. Aluminum Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) sought over other conventional materials in the fields of automotive, sports, aerospace and marine applications due to their admirable improved properties. These materials are of much interest to the researchers from few decades. In this paper, the investigational results of the sliding and mechanical properties of Al6061–WC metal matrix composites are presented. The Al6061 composites containing 0–3 wt% WC were dispersed in the base matrix in steps of 1 and fabricated by powder metallurgy technique. The experimental results revealed that with an increase in WC content there was an increase in the density of the composites and these values are in sync with the theoretical values determined by the rule of mixtures. The tensile strength and hardness of the Al6061–WC composites are directly related to weight percentage of WC and an increase was observed with a decrease in ductility was observed.Wear properties increased, compared to as-cast Al6061 with an increase in WC content in the matrix.