The effect of silicon content and morphology on the wear of aluminium-silicon alloys under dry and lubricated sliding conditions

Abstract

Improvement in the efficiency of the internal combustion engine has resulted in the increased usage of aluminium alloys and, in particular, aluminium-silicon as a substitute for cast iron. Despite the wide use of such materials in tribological environments little knowledge is available on the wear resistance of aluminium-silicon alloys. This paper investigates the wear performance of a range of binary aluminium-silicon alloys produced by a novel melt-spray technique. In addition, samples of the 11wt% silicon alloy were produced by conventional casting methods to elucidate the influence of silicon morphology on wear resistance. Pin-on-ring wear tests were carried out under dry and boundary-lubricated conditions. Surface analysis showed a similar wear mechanism under both conditions, these being: (1) oxidative and (2) metallic wear. Under boundary-lubricated conditions the load at which the transition to metallic wear occurred was increased. Raising the silicon content of the alloy was reflected in an increase in both wear resistance and transition load. Under dry sliding conditions the wear rate of the 11wt% alloy increased with a reduction in the silicon particle size, whereas under boundary-lubricated conditions the reverse was observed and the sand-cast alloy exhibited superior performance.