The effect of sintering temperature and time on microstructure, hardness and wear behaviors of Al 99.9/GNP composites

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the microstructure, hardness and wear behavior of graphene nanoplate (GNP) reinforced composites with Al 99.9 matrix produced by powder metallurgy. Different temperatures and times were applied in the sintering process. The hardness values of the composites increased as the sintering temperature and time increased. The hardness values decreased with the increase of GNP reinforcement ratio. The wear losses decreased depending on the increase in sintering temperature and time. With the increase in the GNP reinforcement ratio, reductions in wear losses were recorded. It has been concluded that the GNP reinforcement element in the composite structure reduces the friction coefficient and wear losses by having some lubricating effect. It was observed that the neck and bonding formation between Al 99.9 matrix grains improved with increasing sintering temperature and time. It was concluded that with the development of intergranular bonds, the porosity in the composite structure decreased and the mechanical properties increased.