Influence of in situ formed TiB<inf>2</inf> particles on the abrasive wear behaviour of Al-4Cu alloy

The abrasive wear resistance of in situ Al-4Cu/TiB2 composites has been compared with that of the matrix Al-4Cu alloy. The influence of wt.% of TiB2 particles, applied load and abrasive particle size has been studied. The test results indicate that the abrasive wear resistance of Al-4Cu alloy is significantly improved with TiB2 particles. Abrasive wear rate is inversely proportional to hardness of the in situ composites. Although the reinforcement particles (<2 μm) are smaller than the abrasive particle size (30 and 90 μm), the TiB2 reinforcement effectively improves the abrasive wear resistance of the matrix Al-4Cu alloy. The wear rate of Al-4Cu alloy and composites increases with increase in applied load and abrasive particle size. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.