Abstract
Al–4 wt-%Cu alloy and composites reinforced with 10 and 20 vol.-% of TiB2 particles were prepared by powder metallurgy followed by hot isostatic pressing. The dry sliding wear behaviour of specimens of these materials was investigated. Pin-on-disc measurements showed that the wear resistance of Al–4Cu alloy can be improved dramatically by the addition of 20 vol.-%TiB2 particles. This was due to the high hardness of the TiB2 particles, and to strong particle–matrix bonding. The wear data were found to correlate with SEM observations.