Friction and wear reduction by graphene nano platelets for hybrid nano Aluminium matrix composite under dry sliding conditions

Abstract

Friction losses and wear losses are the main failure reasons in the internal combustion (IC) engine components i.e., cylinder liner and piston. So, it demands lightweight self-lubricating low friction and wear-resistant materials to increase the efficiency and reduce the emission issue of the IC engine. In this concern, tribological tests are performed on self-lubricating aluminium composites samples reinforced with 6 wt.% of γ-Al2O3 and Graphene Nano Platelets (GNP) with varying concentration (0.5 wt.% - 5 wt.%), using ball-on-disc tribo-configuration under dry sliding conditions. The scope of this study is to investigate the anti-friction and anti-wear properties of GNP as reinforcement in the hybrid nanocomposite. The hybrid nanocomposite samples are fabricated using Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) fabrication route. From the results, it is reported that friction and wear reduction percentage is 37.43 % and 51.64 %, respectively for the hybrid nanocomposite with 5 wt. % GNP. It is attributed to the inclusion of GNP, which reduces the Coefficient of Friction (COF) and improves wear resistance of the composite significantly.