Effect of Experimental Parameters on Reciprocating Wear Behavior of Al-Si-SiCp Composites under Dry Condition

Abstract

In this paper the nonlinear dry reciprocating wear behavior of three composites A319/15%SiC p A336/15%SiC p and A390/15%SiC p subjected to high temperature were reported. Composites were produced through liquid metal metallurgy route. Five controllable input parameters selected for the wear study were applied load, reciprocating velocity, sliding distance, counter surface temperature and silicon content in composites. Two output responses wear and coefficient of friction were measured. The input parameter levels were fixed through pilot experiment conducted in the indigenously developed reciprocating friction and wear test rig. The counter surface material used for the wear study was cast iron having Vickers hardness of 244 HVN. Wear study under dry condition was carried out through response surface methodology by considering five input parameters as variables and two output parameters as responses. It had been demonstrated through established equations that the nonlinearity is more pronounced with the increase in applied load and reciprocating velocity. Also it was found that high percentage silicon content composite exhibited a low wear compared to the low percentage silicon content composite. Moreover, the wear increased with increasing applied load, sliding distance and counter surface temperature and it decreased with silicon content in composites and square of reciprocating velocity.