Abstract

Mechanical characteristics and tribological behavior of aluminum (Al6063) matrix composites (AMCs), fabricated using different compositions of SiC particles and mixed rare earth particulates (REP) were investigated. The hybrid composites samples were fabricated via bottom pouring casting route by varying 3, 6, and 9 wt.% of SiC and 1, 2, and 3 wt.% REP(CeO₂+La₂O₃) mixture. Microstructural examination was conducted using electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis. Also the elemental composition of the samples was determined by using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The microstructural studies revealed uniform dispersion of REP (CeO₂+La₂O₃) throughout the Al6063 matrix which promotes grain refinement. Mechanical properties such as micro-hardness, impact strength, ultimate tensile strength, percentage elongation, along with tribological properties such as wear rate were investigated on AMCs at room temperature. The outcomes concluded that incorporation of up to 2 wt.% of REP mixture resulted in superior hardness, impact strength, tensile strength and lower wear rate along with marginal improvement in percentage elongation. However, a decrement in mechanical properties and specific wear rate was observed on increasing the REP mixture to 3 wt.%.

摘要

研究了使用不同成分的 SiC 颗粒和混合稀土颗粒 (REP) 制造的铝 (Al6063) 基复合材料 (AMC) 的机械特性和摩擦学行为。混合复合材料样品是通过底部浇铸工艺通过改变 3、6 和 9 重量％的 SiC 和 1、2 和 3 重量％的 REP（CeO ₂ +La ₂ O ₃）混合物制造的。使用电子背散射衍射 (EBSD) 和扫描电子显微镜 (SEM) 分析进行微观结构检查。此外，样品的元素组成是通过使用能量色散光谱 (EDS) 确定的。微观结构研究表明 REP (CeO ₂ +La ₂ O ₃) 遍及 Al6063 基体，促进晶粒细化。在室温下研究了 AMC 的机械性能，如显微硬度、冲击强度、极限拉伸强度、伸长率，以及摩擦学性能，如磨损率。结果得出的结论是，加入高达 2 wt.% 的 REP 混合物会导致优异的硬度、冲击强度、拉伸强度和较低的磨损率，同时百分比伸长率略有提高。然而，当将 REP 混合物增加到 3 重量％时，观察到机械性能和比磨损率下降。