Wear behaviour of near eutectic Al-Si alloy reinforced with in-situ TiB<inf>2</inf> particles

The role of TiB2 particles in dry sliding wear behaviour of Al-12Si-xTiB2 (x = 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 wt.%) in-situ composites has been assessed using a pin-on-disc wear testing machine. The composites were prepared by an exothermic reaction of K2TiF6 and KBF4 salts with molten alloy. Scanning electron microscopy of wear surfaces and wear debris was carried out to determine the governing wear mechanisms in the alloy and composites. The results indicate that size of cracked silicon particles and debris play an important role in deciding the wear behaviour of composites. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.