Assessment of the Microstructure and Abrasive Wear Properties of an A380/NbC Aluminum Composite Produced by Stir Casting.

Aluminum matrix reinforced with carbide powders is considered one of the best ways to improve abrasion resistance in pure alloys. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the abrasive wear resistance of A380 aluminum alloy reinforced with different amounts of NbC reinforcement. The A380 aluminum alloy was selected as the matrix and melted at a temperature of 750°C in an induction furnace. Three weight fractions of NbC powder (5 wt%, 10 wt%, and 15 wt%) and one without NbC were chosen as the reinforcement material and were added using the stir casting method at 400 rpm for 5 min. Mg acts as a bonding agent, Sr was used to modify the eutectic phase, and Al5Ti1B was a grain refiner. Three-body abrasive wear test was conducted in accordance with the ASTMG65 standard. The material properties were evaluated by hardness test, grain size determination, density, porosity, and metallographic analysis. The composite shows an increase in wear resistance and hardness as the NbC content was elevated, especially in the sample containing 15 % NbC. The worn surfaces showed a similar pattern with grooves and plowing, and the highest fraction of NbC (15%) had the lowest amount of plowing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]