The Wear Performance at High Temperatures of ZrO2-Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites Produced by Mechanochemical Reaction Method

Abstract

In this study, high-temperature wear performance of A356+Gr-ZrO2 aluminum matrix composites (AMCs) produced by the mechanochemical reaction method was investigated. After the aluminum composite powders were cold-pressed (750 MPa), the green compacts were sintered under 10−6 mbar vacuum for an hour at 550 °C. Sintered AMCs have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), hardness and density measurements. Wear tests were conducted in two different loads (10 N and 30 N), five different temperatures, and three different sliding distances in the standard pin-on-disc type wear tester. Result showed that ZrO2 added to the matrix tends to cluster in grain boundaries. AMCs hardness and densities increased with the increasing amount of reinforcement, and the highest hardness and density value was obtained with 12% ZrO2-added AMCs. Weight loss increased with increasing load and temperature and decreased with increasing amount of reinforcement in the matrix at all loads and temperatures.