Effect of SiC reinforcement on the mechanical and tribological behaviour of Al6061 metal matrix composites

In the present work, the investigation of mechanical properties and specific wear rate of Al 6061 reinforced with silicon carbide (SiC) with different wt. % is carried out. The stir casting method was used for the fabrication of metal matrix composite and the SiC particle size of 25 mm was reinforced with two (C1-2.5% SiC C2-5% SiC) different weight percentages in Al6061. The SiC particles were preheated at 450 degrees C for 15 min and mixed with matrix at 850 degrees C. The mechanical properties such as tensile test, hardness, and dry sliding wear were conducted and the test specimen was prepared as per ASTM standard. The hardness value of 84 BHN was obtained for the C2 composite than the C1 composite (76 BHN). The tensile strength of the C1 composite was obtained in the order of 157 Mpa compare to the C2 composite (77 MPa). The C2 composite has shown a higher wear resistance than the C1 composite. The microstructure image of the composites was taken for ensuring the distribution of the reinforcement through SEM. The test results ensured that the reinforcement has a strong impact on the base materials, by using SiC in Al6061 can be tailored for a specific wear application. (c) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 3rd International Conference on Materials, Manufacturing and Modelling.

Automated summary

The investigation in this study focused on the mechanical properties and specific wear rate of Al 6061 reinforced with different weight percentages of silicon carbide (SiC). It was found that the C2 composite had higher hardness but lower tensile strength compared to the C1 composite, while exhibiting better wear resistance. The results highlighted the significant impact of the reinforcement on the base materials, showing the potential for tailored wear applications in Al6061 by incorporating SiC.