Mechanical and dry sliding wear analysis of porcelain reinforced SAE660 bronze bearing alloy composite fabricated by stir casting method

Abstract

In today's competitive global market, the conventional engineering materials need to be replaced with novel materials. The present research aims to investigate the mechanical and tribological performance of the porcelain reinforced conventional bronze bearing alloy (SAE660) composite made by liquid metallurgy stir casting process. The mechanical characterizations of the composites were carried out by means of a Vickers microhardness tester and universal testing machine. A pin-on-disc wear test rig was employed to examine the wear behavior of matrix alloys and composites under atmospheric conditions. After the sliding wear test, the worn surfaces were analyzed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The test results revealed that the addition of porcelain as a reinforcement (3, 6 and 9 wt%) significantly enhanced the mechanical and tribological performance of the SAE660 bronze bearing alloy. The composite containing 6 wt% of porcelain exhibited better mechanical properties whereas 9 wt% porcelain reinforced composite exhibited maximum wear resistance. The wear mechanisms such as delamination, ploughing, and abrasion wear were identified as the main wear mechanisms for material removal during the sliding wear test.