Slurry Erosion Wear of Al6061–SiC Composites Developed by Hybrid Technique

Abstract

Slurry erosion is a major concern in marine components which are subjected to wear and corrosion. These problems are addressed by developing materials which are harder and possessing excellent corrosion resistance in sea water. In this regard, there are serious attempts to modify the existing surfaces or developing new composite materials which are hard and also possess good strength. There are few reports suggesting the improved slurry erosion resistance of aluminium alloy by dispersing SiC within the metallic matrix. Higher the extent of SiC in the matrix material, better will be the slurry erosion resistant. In the light of above, the present work will focus on innovative development of Al6061-SiC composites by the combined process of powder metallurgy and casting followed by hot extrusion. A maximum amount of 40 wt % of SiC has been successfully incorporated in the hot extruded composites. The hot extruded composites are subjected to slurry erosive wear test in 3.5% NaCl solution containing silica sand particles. The parameters such as slurry concentration, rotational speed used in the present study are 10-30g/l, 500 – 1000 rpm respectively with test duration maintained at 24 hr. It is observed that increased content of SiC in matrix alloy has resulted in significant improvement in the slurry erosion resistance of the developed composites.