Mechanical and tribological properties of al 7075 /sic/ graphite hybrid composites processed by powder metallurgy technique

Abstract

The metal matrix composite strengthened with ceramic material of carbide (SiC) has smart mechanical characteristics. Metal-based composites, however, demand progress in their friction and tribological characteristics. In this work-study an effort is made to design a completely new material through the method of metallurgy by adding graphite, which acts as a solid lubricant. This study explored the effect of graphite on the tribological behaviour of hybrid composite Al 7075/5 wt. % SiC / X wt. % graphite (X=10, 5 and 0). The research confirms the performance of wear properties by incorporating graphite into the composite. The sic-graphite reinforced Al 7075 (aluminium alloy 7075) was studied. Metallurgy route was used to prepare the composites. Microstructures, the mixture of materials, wear and wear resistance properties were analyzed by optical micro cope and scanning electron microscope, XRD, and pin-on-disc apparatus. The freshly developed metal composite has significant improvement in tribological properties with a mixture 5% silicon carbide (SiC) and 5% graphite. The experimental investigations confirm that a sliding distance of one thousand meters and a sliding velocity of 1.5 m / s with an applied load of 5 N leads to minimum wear loss of 0.01062g and coefficient of friction as 0.1278.