The Effect of Wear Environment Temperature on the Wear Behavior and Friction Coefficient of SiCw/Al Composite

Abstract

Wear and friction tests of a ring-on-disc type were performed on SiC whisker reinforced Al6061 composite (SiCw/Al) as well as Al6061 alloy matrix (AA6061) in order to clarify the difference in wear mechanism with the increase of wear environment temperature and sliding speed. The main results obtained at this work were as follows: friction coefficients of the SiCw/Al were insensitive to the variation of the wear environment temperature up to 300°C and sliding speed up to 0.48 m/s whereas the friction coefficients for the AA6061 fluctuated with variation of the wear environment temperature and sliding speed though friction coefficient of the SiCw/Al was greater than that of the A6061 due to the presence of SiC whiskers. Weight loss of the SiCw/Al, the difference of the specimen weight before and after the experiment, under the severest test condition was a half of that of the AA6061. Wear mechanism of both specimens was found to change from abrasive wear to adhesive wear at 300°C. In addition, thin surface layer, TSL, similar to mixed mechanical layer, was observed in the worn surfaces of the SiCw/Al easier than AA6061. The more the wear environment temperature increases, the wider area of the TSL in the SiCw/Al is.