The wear resistance of Al–Si–Re alloys for electrical contact applications

Abstract

We prepared aluminum–silicon–rare earth (Al–Si–Re) elements alloys for electrical contact applications. Three Si weight percentages (wt.%) — 10%, 20% and 30% — were used, and rare earth (Re) elements were kept at 0.35 wt.%. The spraying forming process was adopted, and high-pressure hot isostatic pressing (HIP) was conducted to obtain the bulk materials from the as-deposited billets. The electrical conductivity of alloys with 10% and 20% Si reached 40% International Annealed Copper Standard (IACS). The hardness of Al–Si alloys significantly increased with Si content and HIP processing times. The hardness of alloy with 30% Si reached [Formula: see text]90 HV. Meanwhile, HIP reduced weight loss in the wear resistance by reducing the microcracks and materials removal. The current study proposes an approach to manufacture Al–Si alloys with high electrical conductivity and high wear resistance.