Effect of matrix powder and reinforcement content on tribological behavior of particulate 6061Al-TiB2 composites

In the present work, 6061Al-TiB2 composites were synthesized using two types of base 6061Al powder (prealloyed and premixed) through powder metallurgy route. Dry sliding wear test was performed on the specimens using pin on disk apparatus to investigate the effect of TiB2 content on tribological characteristics. The microstructure, worn surface, and subsurface were also characterized using scanning electron microscope to examine the wear mechanism of prealloyed- and premixed-based composites. A mathematical model was developed using parameters (composition and applied load) to predict wear rate and correlated with experimental results. Adequacy of developed model has been validated using analysis of variance. Results indicated that premixed 6061Al-TiB2 composites have superior tribological properties as compared to the prealloyed 6061Al-TiB2 composite.