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Reciprocating sliding wear properties of sintered Al-B4C composites

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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.

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Acknowledegements

The authors of this study thank Black Sea Advanced Technology Research and Application Center (KİTAM) in Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU in Turkey) for SEM and XRD analysis and Hitit University Scientific and Technical Application and Research Center (HÜBTUAM in Turkey) for wear and friction testing and surface roughness measurement. This work was financially supported by the Scientific Researched Project Department of Ondokuz Mayıs University (No. PYO.MUH.1901.20.001).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mechanical Engineering Department, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, 55169, Turkey

    Mahmut Can Şenel

  2. Mechanical Engineering Department, Hitit University, Çorum, 19169, Turkey

    Yusuf Kanca

  3. Mechanical Engineering Department, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, 55169, Turkey

    Mevlüt Gürbüz

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  1. Mahmut Can Şenel
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Correspondence to Mevlüt Gürbüz.

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Şenel, M.C., Kanca, Y. & Gürbüz, M. Reciprocating sliding wear properties of sintered Al-B4C composites. Int J Miner Metall Mater 29, 1261–1269 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-020-2243-5

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