Dry sliding wear and compressive strength of Fe-Cr matrix composite with and without Al2O3 reinforcement

Fe-Cr matrix composites reinforced with Al2O3 particulates fabricated by powder metallurgy (PM) method offer potential for cheaper wear resistance materials and high temperature application. The influence of Al2O3 amount on densification, micro-hardness, wear resistance and strength of the composites were evaluated. The results showed that Al2O3 yield good influence on Fe-Cr matrix composites. Increases the amount of Al2O3 to more than 5 wt% decreases composite's relative density. The micro-hardness and wear resistance of the composites improved with increasing amount of Al2O3 to 20 wt%. Beyond 10 wt% Al2O3 addition, the strength properties began to decrease with an increase in Al“2”O3 addition. Overall, the composites reinforced with 5 wt% Al2O3 exhibited the best results.