Dry Sliding Wear Characterization of Al 6061/rock Dust Composite
Dry Sliding Wear Characterization of Al 6061/rock Dust Composite
Dry Sliding Wear Characterization of Al 6061/rock Dust Composite
Abstract: The influence of rock dust size (10−30 µm) and mass fraction (5%−15%) on density, hardness and dry sliding wear
behavior of Al 6061/rock dust composite processed through stir casting was investigated. Wear behavior of the developed composite
was characterized at different loads, sliding velocities and distances using pin-on-disc setup. The experiments were conducted based
on Taguchi’s L27 orthogonal array and the influence of process parameters on wear rate was studied using ANOVA. The
experimental results reveal that the applied load and reinforcement size are the major parameters influencing the specific wear rate
for all samples, followed by mass fraction of reinforcement, sliding velocity and sliding distance at the level of 47.61%, 28.57%,
19.04%, 9.52% and 4.76%, respectively. The developed regression equation was tested for its accuracy and made evident that it can
be used for predicting the wear rate with minimal error. With the help of SEM images, the worn surfaces of the novel composite were
studied and the analysis proves that the wear resistance of aluminium alloys can be well improved with the addition of rock dust as
reinforcement.
Key words: aluminium metal matrix composite; rock dust; stir casting; wear; ANOVA
Table 6 Response to S/N ratio for wear rate (smaller S/N ratio is better)
Level Reinforcement size Mass fraction of reinforcement Applied load Sliding velocity Sliding distance
1 65.08 64.49 60.43 63.78 62.46
2 62.93 63.36 63.72 63.44 63.21
3 61.17 61.33 65.03 61.95 63.51
δ 3.90 3.16 4.60 1.83 1.05
Rank 2 3 1 4 5
an applied load of 10 N, wear loss is high and gets matrix with various reinforcements increases with the
decreased while increasing load to 20 N, as shown in increase in the applied load [28,29].
Fig. 4. Even though the wear loss decreases with further Reinforcement size is the second most effective
increase in load from 20 to 30 N, the wear rate is higher factor on the wear rate of the composite. It is observed
compared with the former (10−20 N). Further increase in that the wear rate of the composite increases with the
load will possibly result only in increased wear rate. increase in reinforcement size and vice versa. Smaller
Hence, the current study also acknowledges that the wear size reinforcements fill the pores in the matrix materials,
behavior of the composite based on pure aluminum hence increases the bonding strength and concurrent
3898 K. SOORYA PRAKASH, et al/Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China 25(2015) 3893−3903
Fig. 4 Effect of various parameters on S/N ratio for wear rate (smaller S/N ratio is better)
hardness which results in higher wear resistance. further proved that the addition of rock dust improves the
The third factor influencing the wear rate of the wear resistance. The result has a good coherence with
composite is the mass fraction of reinforcement. Upon earlier researches of which the presence of ceramic
clear notification, it is concluded that the wear rate of the reinforcements increases the wear resistance of
composite increases with the increase of rock dust aluminum matrix alloys at low loads [19], but the wear
content in the composite. This occurrence reveals that resistance is less at higher loads.
higher content of reinforcements decreases the bonding The fourth influencing factor of the developed
strength. Figure 6 shows the EDAX pattern of the composite is the sliding velocity. From the observance
composite with 10 µm and 5% reinforcement. It is seen over the experimental data, it is noticeable that the wear
from the peak that the silica present in the rock dust has rate of the composite increases with the increase in
been mixed evenly within the composite. Hence, it is sliding velocity. The friction and wear properties of the
K. SOORYA PRAKASH, et al/Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China 25(2015) 3893−3903 3899
reinforced composites were studied [30−32] and the composite. As the sliding distance increases, the increase
results of similar other researches also show that wear in surface temperature is unavoidable, resulting in
rate of materials increases with sufficient increment in softening of material and high wear loss [33].
sliding velocity.
The least influencing factor for the wear rate is 3.2 ANOVA
sliding distance, when compared with all other factors. The ANOVA was used to investigate which of the
With the increase in sliding distance from 1 to 2 km, the design parameter significantly affects the quality
volume loss of the composite decreases initially, and for characteristics of the composite. It was performed by
further increase in distance from 2 to 3 km, the wear rate separating the total variability of the S/N ratios into
of the composite is higher compared with that of the contributions by each of the design parameters and the
former. This behaviour depicts that further increase in errors.
sliding distance will increase the wear rate of the The total variability of S/N ratio was measured by
3900 K. SOORYA PRAKASH, et al/Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China 25(2015) 3893−3903
3.3 Regression model
The correlation between the control factors
(reinforcement size (A), mass fraction of reinforcement
(B), applied load (C), sliding velocity (D) and sliding
distance (E)) and the wear rate (W) was obtained by
multiple linear regression technique and represented as
follows:
W= 3.67×10−4 +1.8×10−5A+2.9×10−5B−2.2×10−5C+
9.0×10−5D−5.0×10−8E (3)
The correlation coefficient is R2=0.929. The
developed equation should be validated by confirmation
test wherein the predicted results are compared with
experimental values.
Fig. 7 SEM images of worn surfaces of Al 6061/rock dust composites with different reinforcement sizes and contents: (a) 10 μm, 5%;
(b) 10 μm, 10%; (c) 20 μm, 10%; (d) 20 μm, 15%; (e) 30 μm, 10%; (f) 30 μm, 15%
In a naked view, it could be well furnished that wear rate material slides over other material at higher velocities,
of rock dust reinforced Al 6061 alloy is less when the temperature on sliding surface increases and softens
compared with that of unreinforced alloy. the parent material which results in particle pull-out. The
In Fig. 7(a), the micrograph of Al 6061/10 µm/5% overall picture of the SEM images points up as the
of reinforcement at a load of 10 N with sliding velocity mass fraction of the reinforcement decreases these
of 2 m/s for a sliding distance of 1 km is shown, and ridges and grooves become shallower and plastic flow
upon keen observation it is obvious to highlight that less zone of the material decreases. The above artifact
area of craters is a sign of minimum wear in these areas. could be regarded as a superior level of indication
Figure 7(b) shows the SEM image of Al 6061/10 µm/ confirming greater resistance to wear. Hence, as the
10% of reinforcement at load of 30 N with sliding research on the current material correlates well with the
velocity of 3 m/s for a sliding distance of 3 km. It is property values of other comparable rival materials, it is
observed that the plastic flow occurs on the surface due an inevitable fact that the developed composite could
to the increase in velocity and the sliding distance. also be affiliated to the existing stream of
Observance over Fig. 7(d), Al6061/20 µm/15% of composites developed on the similar platform. From
reinforcement at load of 20 N with sliding velocity of now, this novel material can be well utilized in
3 m/s for a sliding distance of 3 km shows large cavities manufacture of automobile accessories like brake
in the subsurface layer, indicating severe loss of material. components and for various products of such other
The reason for these larger cavities is that when the similar applications.
3902 K. SOORYA PRAKASH, et al/Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China 25(2015) 3893−3903
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6061 铝合金/岩粉复合材料的干滑动磨损行为
K. SOORYA PRAKASH1, A. KANAGARAJ2, P. M. GOPAL1
1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Anna University Regional Campus, Coimbatore 641046, India;
2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Akshaya College of Engineering and Technology,
Coimbatore 642109, India