The effect of adding tungsten disulfide nanosheets on the microstructure and wear properties of Al-8Si-3Cu-2Zn alloy produced by powder metallurgy method

Document Type : Original Articles

Author

• Mohammad Alipour

Faculty of Mechanical engineering, Department of Materials Engineering, University of Tabriz, Iran

10.22067/jmme.2024.85890.1134

Abstract

In this research, the mechanical properties (microhardness and wear) of Al-8Si-3Cu-2Zn nanocomposites with 0, 2, and 5% by weight of tungsten disulfide nanoplates have been investigated. The studied nanocomposite was produced through mechanical grinding and hot pressing at a temperature of 510 degrees Celsius. The microstructures of powders before and after mechanical grinding and sintered samples were studied through electron microscopy (SEM). By examining the worn surfaces after the wear test by electron microscope, the cause of weight loss was investigated. The results show that by adding tungsten disulfide nanoplates up to 5% by weight, the microhardness of the samples increases more than twice and from 50 Vickers for Al-8Si-3Cu-2Zn to 101 Vickers for Al-8Si.-3Cu-2Zn nanocomposite reaches -5%WS2. According to the results of the wear tests, the wear rate for Al-8Si-3Cu-2Zn-5%WS2 will decrease by 32% %, compared to the Al-8Si-3Cu-2Zn alloy background. Therefore, Al-8Si-3Cu-2Zn-5%WS2 nanocomposite can be used as a self-lubricating nanocomposite with favorable wear properties.

Keywords

• Aluminum-based nanocomposite
• mechanical properties
• wear rate
• hot pressing

Main Subjects

• Advanced Materials

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