Tribological (wear) properties of aluminum-silicon eutectic base alloy under dry sliding condition

Low expansion, low density and high resistance to corrosion at ambient temperature make the aluminum-silicon alloys very suitable for wear resistance components in the automotive industry. In this study, wear behaviors of both the as-cast and heat-treated Al-Si alloy have been investigated. The cylindrical shaped wear testing specimens were prepared from cast ingot and some of the specimens were then heat-treated according to ASTM standard. Wear experiments on both samples were conducted with a pin-on-disk type wear testing apparatus. The test variables were the rotational speed, input weight, and time/sliding distance. The extent of wear damage was estimated by means of weight loss technique. The full heat-treatment has shown a great influence on the wear properties of the aluminum-silicon piston alloy. In general, the increase in wear with an increase in speed, input load and sliding distance was observed for both as-cast and heat-treated specimens. (C) 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.