Effects of inert gas environment on the sliding wear behavior of AZ91/B4C surface composites

Abstract

Tribological characteristics of AZ91/B4C surface composites were studied under air and argon gas environments. Tests were conducted under a constant normal load of 10 N, with a sliding velocity of 0.06 m/s using a linear reciprocating tribometer. Wear tracks and debris were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, three-dimensional contour topography, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in order to understand the wear mechanisms. The wear rate of the specimen tested under the argon environment was found to be lower (∼60%) in comparison with that of the specimen tested under the open-air environment. The value of the friction coefficient was found to be minimum under the argon environment compared with the air environment. In the air environment, the major material loss from the test specimen was attributed to oxidation wear; whereas under the argon environment, strain-hardening effect was dominant, and the material was found to be removed by delamination wear. In addition, the worn surface morphology of the wear tracks and counter surfaces showed the involvement of abrasion and adhesion wear mechanisms. The results of the study pave the pathway for the design of lightweight surface composite material systems such as AZ91/B4C toward an efficient and robust tribo-pair applicability for a controlled environment.