Microstructural and wear behavior of dual reinforced particle (DRP) aluminum alloy composite

The present investigations are a comparative study of single and dual reinforcement particles on microstructural features and wear behavior in LM-13 aluminum-silicon alloy. Silicon carbide and zircon sand particles of 20-32 mu m are reinforced in the alloy by two-step stir casting method. Wear study reveals that the dual particle reinforcement enhances the wear resistance as compared to single particle reinforcement if mixed in a definite proportion. Study also indicate that a combination of 15 % reinforcement of zircon sand and silicon carbide particles in the ratio of 1:3 into the composite exhibits better wear resistance as compared to other combination.