Investigations on Dry Sliding Wear Behaviour of B4C Reinforced ZA43 Alloy Composites

Abstract

In the present investigation, effect of applied normal load and sliding distance on wear behaviour of 3, 6 and 9 weight percentages of B4C particulate reinforced ZA43 alloy composites were reported. ZA43 alloy - Boron Carbide composites were fabricated by conventional liquid stir casting method. The composites containing 3, 6 and 9 wt. % of B4C particulates were fabricated for the study. The microstructure of the composites was examined by scanning electron microscopy. The wear resistance of metal matrix composites was studied by conducting dry sliding wear assessment using a pin on disc apparatus. The experiments were conducted at a constant sliding speed of 300rpm and sliding distance of 6000m over varying loads of 0.5kg, 1kg, 1.5kg and 2kg. The results showed that the wear resistance of ZA43 – B4C composites was better than the unreinforced alloy. The wear rate was found to increase with the applied load and sliding distance. Study of wear worn surfaces was carried out using scanning electron microscope.