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Silicon Carbide Ceramic Particulate Reinforced AA2024 Alloy Composite - Part I: Evaluation of Mechanical and Sliding Tribology Performance

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In this research work, a master batch (comprising of AA2024 alloy, Silicon Nitride (Si3N4) and Graphite particulates) was reinforced by Silicon-Carbide (SiC) ceramic particulates (0–6 wt.-%; at steps of 2%; i.e. four composites samples viz. ASC-0; ASC-2; ASC-4; ASC-6) with the aim of enhancing mechanical and sliding tribology performance. The semi-automatic stir-casting fabrication process was followed as per standard industrial practice in-order-to fabricate the sample plates of the said alloy composites as per design. Thereafter, the sample specimens were prepared via wire EDM cutting followed by polishing over emery paper; as per ASTM standard dimensions and various physical (density and void content), mechanical (tensile strength, flexural strength, impact strength, hardness etc.), sliding tribology performance (steady state sliding wear; ASTM G-99; Pin-on-Disc tribo-meter), thermal (thermal conductivity, Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis (TGA)); thermo-mechanical (Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA)), fracture-analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) etc. characterisation were performed and discussed. In Part-1: Physical, mechanical and sliding tribology performances were discussed. The Taguchi design of experiment technique was employed for designing of experimental runs having input controlling parameters like sliding velocity (0.654–2.616 m/s), sliding distance (784.8–3139.2 m), normal load (5–50 N), reinforcement content (0–6 wt.-%) and environment temperature (20–50 °C). The worn surface morphology studies were performed to understand prevalent wear mechanism using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) along with Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) that reveals elemental composition and its dispersion on the surface. In Part-2: evaluation of characterizations like thermal, thermo-mechanical, fracture-analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) etc. were discussed in correlation with mechanical and sliding wear performance. In Part-3: the entire performance data are analysed using hybrid AHP-TOPSIS technique (an MCDM technique; computationally simple and easy to understand) in-order-to rank the composites formulations.

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their sincere gratitude to Department of Mechanical Engineering of Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur-302017, Rajasthan, INDIA for their all kind of financial as well as other miscellaneous infrastructural support. Authors acknowledge the aid and experimental facilities conducted by Advanced Research Lab for Tribology and Material Research Centre of the Institute for experimentation and characterization work.

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  1. Mechanical Engineering Department, Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur, Rajasthan, 302017, India

    Sourabh Bhaskar, Mukesh Kumar & Amar Patnaik

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  1. Sourabh Bhaskar
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Correspondence to Mukesh Kumar.

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Bhaskar, S., Kumar, M. & Patnaik, A. Silicon Carbide Ceramic Particulate Reinforced AA2024 Alloy Composite - Part I: Evaluation of Mechanical and Sliding Tribology Performance. Silicon 12, 843–865 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12633-019-00181-x

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