STUDY OF TRIBO-ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF COMPOSITE MATERIAL BASED ON AN ALUMINUM MATRIX REINFORCED WITH STEEL OR BASALT

The study objective is to evaluate the tribo-engineering properties of composite materials based on an aluminum matrix reinforced with steel or basalt in comparison with a material without reinforcement, and to develop a technology for obtaining such composite materials. Frames consisting of multidirectional fibers were used as reinforcing components: basalt wool (175-200 kg/m3 density); steel wool (4# class); melting temperatures of steel and basalt, which make up steel and basalt wool, are above 10000C, which makes it possible to pour aluminum without changing the aggregate state of reinforcing frames. The percentage of reinforcing components by weight is 4-5%. Deformable AB aluminum alloy was used as a matrix, which differs from the alloys of Al-Mg-Si system because of its higher level of tensile and yield strength. The composite materials under study were obtained by the liquid–phase method - casting according to melting models. Tribo-engineering properties were tested on a friction machine in the medium of Lukoil standard 10W40 SF/CC engine oil. To determine the anti-wear properties, tests were carried out for 1 hour, and to determine the antisize properties and the seizure load, tests were carried out with a constant increase in the load on the friction unit. The assessment of anti-wear and antisize properties was carried out by comparing the values of wear spots and seizure loads. It is found that the anti-wear properties increase by 76-85% when reinforcing samples with basalt wool and by 46-76% when reinforcing with steel wool in relation to an unreinforced sample. Antisize properties increase with basalt reinforcement by 23%, and decrease by 7% with steel reinforcement. Studies on assessing tribo-engineering properties of samples obtained by casting from AB aluminum alloy reinforced with basalt and steel have shown an improvement in anti-wear and antisize properties in relation to samples from AB alloy without reinforcement.