EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS ON THE INFLUENCE OF TiC/GRAPHITE REINFORCEMENT IN WEAR BEHAVIOR OF Al 6061HYBRID COMPOSITES

Abstract

This research work focuses about fabrication and investigation on the influence of Titanium Carbide (TiC)-graphite particles reinforcement in wear behavior of Aluminium Matrix Composites (AMC). The stir casting technique was used to fabricate AMC reinforced with various weight percentage of TiC and graphite particles. Wear tests were conducted by using pin-on-disc wear testing machine. The hardness of the hybrid composites were recorded on the test specimen. The worn out surfaces of composites were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Results reveal that the presence of TiC and graphite particles improved the wear resistance. The wear of composite is primarily due to delamination and abrasion. The graphite particles serve as the solid lubricant on the wear of composite. The hardness of composite is improved with the decrease in weight percentage of graphite. SEM images reveal that the reinforcement particles in the matrix are homogeneously distributed. Also, worn-out surfaces of the composite were studied to observe wear track and wear mechanisms like plowing grooves, crack or cutting, and fragmentation.