MECHANICAL AND TRIBOLOGICAL BEHAVIOUR OF STIR CAST ALUMINIUM/BORON CARBIDE/FLY ASH COMPOSITES

A new attempt has been made in the current research work to produce hybrid composites with aluminium A356 alloy as matrix and boron carbide powder (4%), fly ash (4%) as reinforcements by the stir casting method. Hightemperature tribological behavior of aluminium boron carbide fly ash composites using the pin on disc method with pin heating setup studied in this investigation. Fly ash particles added as a secondary reinforcement material due to its notable mechanical, metallurgical and tribological properties. Mechanical tests like tensile test, micro hardness test and microstructure studies were conducted. The significance of load, sliding velocity and temperature on the wear rate of the hybrid composites was evaluated. The test results showed considerable development in the mechanical properties and uniform particle distribution in the matrix. The tensile and compression strength of the hybrid composites increased considerably whereas ductility reduced. The morphology of pin surface studied through a high-resolution scanning electron microscope. Analysis of variance method used to explore the effect of wear parameters on the wear rate. The results of the investigation revealed that the load had the highest significance, followed by temperature and sliding velocity. The wear rate increase with the rise in applied load and temperature and decrease with increase in sliding velocity. The developed composites can be used in the production of automobile parts which require high wear and thermal resistance