Mechanisms of material removal during erosion–corrosion of an Al–SiC particle composite

Abstract

Erosive–corrosive wear behaviour of Al–hard particle composite has been studied in synthetic mine water plus sand slurry at varying speeds (900 and 600 rpm) and at different angles of inclination (0°, 45° and 90°) of the specimen surface with respect to the slurry movement. It has been noted that the wear rate is significantly higher at normal incidence angle and at higher speed as compared to that occurred at lower speed and shallower incidence angle. These may be due to higher degree of normal impact energy offered by the erodant on the specimen surface in such experimental condition. The mechanism of material removal from the specimen surface was examined to be associated with number of subsequent and repetitive stages. It is observed that interface between alloy and hard particle plays an important role in the process of material removal under synergistic effect of corrosion and erosion. At higher speed and normal impact angle, the particles also get fractured, fragmented and finally pulled out from the specimen surface which in turn causes significantly higher wear rate.