Effect of Si Addition on Microstructure and Tribological Properties of Al-0.1Mg-0.35Ni-(4, 6, 8, 10) wt %Si Alloy

Abstract

The effect of Si addition on hardness, microstructure, and behavior of wear of Al-0.1Mg-0.35 Ni-(4, 6, 8, and 10) wt %Si alloy has been investigated. The alloy is melted in an electric furnace and Si added to the melt in a metal mold. The microstructure for samples and worn surfaces were analyzed and characterized using X-ray diffraction the residual voltage (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), scanning of electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. The results have showed that the Si morphology remained particle shaped and an intermediate phase Al3Ni was observed. The hardness and tensile strength increased, wear rate decreases and the coefficient of friction CoF remained constant. Further, the impact of Si addition on the behaviour of the Al-0.1Mg- 0.35Ni-(4, 6, 8, 10) wt %Si is also evaluated in this study. Finally, it is concluded that the Si addition significantly improves of tribological properties of the Al-0.1Mg-0.35Ni-(4, 6, 8, 10) wt %Si alloy.