Effect of dispersion technique and applied load on the dry sliding wear behavior of combined stir-squeeze-cast AA6061–0.5 wt % CNT composite against a steel counter body at both room temperature and elevated temperature

Wear behavior of three different AA6061-0.5 wt% CNT composites fabricated using different dispersion techniques by stir-squeeze-casting have been studied against a steel ball counter body. The uniform CNT distribution in composites fabricated by dropping pellets of Al-powder and CNT (PD composite) yields the lowest coefficient of friction (COF) and specific wear rate (SWR) for both the composite material and the counter body. Both COF and SWR increase as the load increases from 5 N to 10 N, but drop as the load increases further to 15 N. Even at 150 °C, the presence of CNTs improved the tribological performance of AA6061. A detailed study of CNT morphologies on the worn surface and Raman spectroscopy indicate their beneficial role as a solid lubricant to reduce COF and material loss during wear.