Determination of mechanical and tribological properties of vacuum sintered hybrid reinforced Al-4Cu composites

Abstract

This study aims to modernize commonly preferred hybrid aluminum composites in the automotive and defense industries. For this purpose, Al-4Cu/B4C-SiC hybrid composites were manufactured using the hot pressing method and their microstructure, mechanical, and tribological properties were investigated. SEM/EDS analyses of the samples were conducted to examine morphological characteristics. Hardness, relative density, and three-point bending tests were performed on the produced samples. Additionally, wear tests were conducted under dry sliding conditions and different loads (5-10-15 N) to investigate tribological properties. The addition of hybrid reinforcements resulted in high hardness (88.54 HB) and relative density (98.83%) values. The highest bending stress (556.9 MPa) was observed in sample AC-4 (Al-4Cu/2B4C-2SiC). The lowest mass loss (1.1 × 10−3 g) was encountered in sample AC-6 (Al-4Cu/6B4C-6SiC), where all reinforcements were present together. Plastic deformation, oxidation, and residual wear mechanisms were identified on the worn surfaces of the samples. Consequently, the addition of hybrid reinforcements to Al-4Cu composites shows promising potential in enhancing the mechanical and tribological performance of the composites.