Correlation between the Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Rutile Reinforced LM27 Alloy Composite

To meet the global requirements of the industry, there is a need for innovative light weight, low cost, eco-friendly, high quality engineering materials with superior performance at a wide range of temperatures. Aluminum Matrix Composites (AMCs) are lightweight materials with isotropic properties, a suitable choice for modern industry. Low-cost aluminium alloys reinforced with minerals have found a special place in the automotive industry for the manufacture of automobile parts. Rutile particles improve the mechanical properties of the aluminum matrix, making it attractive for structural applications as well as providing greater wear resistance to the composite during sliding. In the present studies, a rutile mineral reinforced LM27 aluminum alloy composite was developed through a stir casting route with 6, 9 and 12 wt.% reinforcements. To study the effect of particle size on the mechanical and tribological properties of composite samples reinforced with fine-sized (50–75 µm) and coarse-sized (106–125 µm) rutile particles were prepared. From the results of the experiment, it was found that the hardness, compressive strength and wear resistance increase with increasing rutile wt.% addition.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants10100251