Study of corrosive-erosive wear behaviour of Al6061/albite composites

This investigation analyses the influence of dispersed alumina particles on the wear behaviour of the Al/albite composites in a corrosive environment. The composites were prepared by modified pressure die-casting technique. The corrosive-erosive wear experiments were carried out on a proprietary corrosion-erosion wear tester to study the wear characteristics of the composites. The slurry was made up of water and alumina (size: 90-150 mu m, proportion: 0-30 wt.%), while H2SO4 (0.01, 0.1 and 1N) was added to create the corrosive conditions. Experiments were arranged to test the relationships among the corrosive-erosive wear rate, concentrations Of H2SO4 and alumina in the slurry, weight percent of albite in the composite, erosion speed and distance. Wear rate varies marginally at low speeds but sharply increases at higher speeds. The corrosive wear rate logarithmically increased with the increasing concentration of the corrosive medium. The effect of abrasive particles and corrosion medium on the wear behaviour of the composite is explained experimentally, theoretically and using scanning electron microscopy. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.