Microstructure, mechanical properties and two-body abrasive wear behaviour of hypereutectic Al-Si-SiC composite

The microstructure, mechanical properties, and the effects of sliding distance and material removal mechanism on two-body abrasive wear behaviour of hypereutectic Al-Si-SiC composite and its matrix alloy were investigated. The hypereutectic Al-Si-SiC composite was prepared by stir casting route. The hardness, ultimate tensile strength and yield strength of the composite are increased by 17%, 38%, and 30% respectively compared with those of the matrix alloy, while the elongation of the composite is decreased by 48% compared with that of the matrix alloy. The wear rate of the materials is increased with increasing the abrasive size and the applied load and does not vary with the sliding distance. The wear surfaces and wear debris of the materials were characterized by high-resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy (HR FESEM) and wear mechanism was analyzed for low and high load regimes.