Wear behavior of artificially aged AA2024/40 μm SiCp composites in comparison with conventionally wear resistant ferrous materials

The abrasion wear behavior of T6 AA2024/40 mum SiCp composites was studied using the pin-on-disc technique. Specific wear rate (swr) curves versus load and short sliding distance, were obtained. The processing route of the materials was a combination of the compocasting and squeeze casting techniques. The volume fractions of the composites produced were 0, 8, 14, 19, and 24 vol.%. In order to evaluate the influence of T6 heat treatment in their behavior, the composites were tested in the peak-aged (PA) and over-aged (OA) condition. Then their wear performance was compared with that of conventional wear resistant materials which were the heat resistant X40CrMoV51 (or H13) tool steel and the gray cast iron; the later was extracted from an automotive brake rotor. The composites' wear behavior was found to be relatively independent of the aging condition. Their wear resistant improved with increasing SiCp content in both the PA and OA condition. All T6 composites of every SiCp volume fraction exhibited considerably lower swr's than not only those of gray cast iron but of H13 tool steel as well. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.