EFFECTS OF ZnO AND GRAPHITE PARTICULATES ON MECHANICAL AND WEAR CHARACTERISTICS OF Al-Si ALLOY HYBRID COMPOSITES

Abstract

Aluminium alloys exhibit some outstanding properties which make them to be widely used in many applications. This study examined the effect of particles of ZnO and graphite on mechanical and wear characteristics of Al-Si alloy hybrid composites developed by stir casting method for automotive application. Zinc oxide and graphite particles were thoroughly mixed in varied weight fractions (11, 14, and 17 wt. %) with Al-Si alloy. The hybrid composite exhibited the highest hardness and tensile strength values of 113.67 VHN and 163.67 MPa respectively at 14 wt. % particles addition. The volume loss during wear increased with speed and load but was marginal in the reinforced samples. The microstructure showed good dispersion of particles of ZnO and graphite in the Al-Si alloy. The mechanical and wear characteristics of the composites were enhanced by the uniform distribution of the ZnO and graphite particles in the Al-Si alloy matrix and the strong adhesion of alloy-particles phases.

Keywords

• Al-Si alloy,hybrid composites,mechanical characteristics,wear characteristics

References

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