Effect of manufacturing process parameters on the wear rate of Al 6061–Cu–SiCp alloy composites

In selecting the raw material for the production of machine parts, its wear resistance is considered a key parameter. Stir casting is a highly economical and effective technique for the manufacture of metal matrix composites. In the present research work, the tribological characteristics of an aluminum (Al) 6061 alloy composite reinforced with varying particle sizes of silicon carbide (SiC) (45, 53 and 63 μm) were investigated using a pin-on-disk wear-testing machine. Apart from this, the influence of pouring temperature and stirring speed during stir casting is also taken into account while characterizing the composite’s wear behavior. The analysis of variance test results indicate that the particle size of the silicon carbide reinforcement affects the wear rate of the composite samples. It was observed that the combined effect of stirring speed and pouring temperature significantly influences the wear rate of the test samples. Nevertheless, the combined effect of stirring speed and particle size of the ceramic reinforcement, as well as pouring temperature and particle size of silicon carbide, has no significance as far as the wear rate is concerned. The microstructural study of the worn samples was conducted using scanning electron microscopy analysis.