Wear characteristics of spray formed Al-alloys and their composites

In the present investigation, different Al based alloys such as Al–Si–Pb, Al–Si, Al–Si–Fe and 2014Al + SiC composites have been produced by spray forming process. The microstructural features of monolithic alloys and composite materials have been examined and their wear characteristics have been evaluated at different loads and sliding velocities. The microstructural features invariably showed a significant refinement of the primary phases and also modification of secondary phases in Al-alloys. The Pb particles in Al–Si–Pb alloy were observed to be uniformly distributed in the matrix phase besides decorating the grain boundaries. The spray formed composites showed uniform distribution of SiC particles in the matrix. It was observed that wear resistance of Al–Si alloy increases with increase in Pb content; however, there is not much improvement after addition of Pb more than 20%. The coefficient of friction reduced to 0.2 for the alloy containing 20%Pb. A sliding velocity of 1 ms−1 was observed to be optimum for high wear resistance of these materials. Alloying elements such as Fe and Cu in Al–Si alloy lead to improved wear resistance compared to that of the base alloy. The addition of SiC in 2014Al alloy gave rise to considerable improvement in wear resistance but primarily in the low pressure regime. The wear rate seemed to decrease with increase in sliding velocity. The wear response of the materials has been discussed in light of their microstructural features and topographical observation of worn surfaces.