Reciprocating sliding wear properties of sintered Al-B₄C composites

Abstract

The fabrication of boron carbide reinforced aluminum matrix composites (Al-B₄C) with various contents of B₄C (1wt%, 6wt%, 15wt%, and 30wt%) was performed by powder metallurgy, and the influence of the content of B₄C on their mechanical and tribological behavior was examined. The Al-30B₄C composites recorded the highest density (∼2.54 g/cm³), lowest porosity (4%), maximum Vickers hardness (HV ∼75), lowest weight loss (0.4 mg), and lowest specific wear rate (0.00042 mm³/(N·m)) under a load of 7 N, with an enhancement of 167% in hardness, a decrease of 75.8% in weight loss, and a decrease of 76.7% in the specific wear rate compared with pure aluminum. In addition, the scanning electron microscope images of the worn surface revealed that the Al-B₄C composite has the narrowest wear groove of 0.85 mm at a load of 7 N, and the main wear mechanism was observed as an abrasive wear mechanism. According to the friction analysis, the coefficient of friction between surfaces increased with increasing boron carbide content and with decreasing applied load. In conclusion, B₄C is an effective reinforcement material in terms of tribological and mechanical performance of the Al-B₄C composites.

Keywords

aluminum / boron carbide / composite / wear / friction

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