Manufacture of silicon carbide reinforced aluminium 6061 metal matrix composites for enhanced sliding wear properties

Composite materials have the capability of being customised to provide specific mechanical and tribological properties. This paper presents the manufacture of a novel composite of Al6061 with 5% SiC (50 μm size) by the stir casting method. Experimental investigations of mechanical and tribological properties of SiC reinforced Al6061 are discussed. Investigations with a Rockwell hardness tester revealed that this composite had enhanced hardness. Wear characteristics were investigated for Al6061 and the novel composite Al6061 + SiC with a Pin on disc tribometer for a load range of 5N-200N and RPM varying from 200 to 1500. The effect of crucial parameters such as load and RPM on the wear of the novel composite were presented with sensitivity analysis. The results obtained are encouraging, showing the novel composite having a lower wear rate