Mechanical and tribological behavior of SiC and fly ash reinforced Al 7075 composites compared to SAE 65 bronze

In the current study, the effect of SiC and fly ash particles on the mechanical and tribological behavior of Al 7075 composites has been studied as a replacement for a conventional bearing material (SAE 65 bronze). Al 7075 composites were prepared with the addition of various percentages of reinforcement materials by using the stir casting process. Hardness, tensile strength and wear behavior of the composites were studied and compared with a control specimen and SAE 65 bearing bronze. The hardness of Al 7075 matrix reinforced by SiC particles increases when compared with the base matrix due to the presence of the ceramic phase. The co-efficient of friction considerably decreases with the addition of SiC and fly ash into the base matrix. Specimens were subjected to wear tests under different load conditions and in accord with three wear mechanisms wear groove (or oxidation), abrasion and delamination, evaluated. The abrasion results revealed that the wear resistance of reinforced Al 7075 composites increased compared to both a control specimen and to SAE 65 bearing bronze.