Improvement on Sliding Wear Behavior of Al/Cast Iron Tribopair by CNT's Reinforcement of an Al Alloy

Abstract

The results presented in this work show the wear characterization of Al-Si matrix composites reinforced by multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) under dry reciprocating sliding conditions against a grey cast iron (GCI) The wear resistance is investigated as a function of the carbon nanotube (CNT) content that varied from 2 to 6 wt%. The results demonstrated that the CNT content plays a relevant role in the wear behavior by substantially reducing the wear loss of Al-Si CNT composites. Further, it reduces the wear loss of the grey cast iron counterface. A physical model able to explain the improved behavior in both mating materials is depicted from experimental results.

KEY WORDS:

• Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs)
• Al-Si Matrix Composite
• Wear

Funding

This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation of Science and Technology through the project references PTDC/EME-PME/68664/2006 and EXCL/EMS-TEC/0460/2012.