Investigation of Wear Performance in Zirconium Dioxide Reinforced Aluminum Hybrid Nano-Composites Synthesized by the Powder Metallurgy Process

The wide applications of aluminum composites in the defense, automotive and aerospace industries interest researchers in developing hybrid nanocomposites with specific properties such as high strength, hardness, and wear resistance. The aluminum was reinforced by silicon carbide (SiC) nanoparticles with a constant weight composition, and the spark plasma sintering process fabricated zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂) nanoparticles with a different weight composition. The hybrid composite material’s density, porosity, and hardness were assessed using the SEM images of composites and hybrid nanocomposites that were effectively created by the sintering process without particle agglomeration. A pin-on-disc device was used for the wear test, with different input parameters such as weight (20, 25, 30, and 35 N), varying sliding distance (300, 500, 700 and 900m) and diverse sliding speeds (1, 1.5, 2 and 2.5 m/sec). The hybrid nanocomposite hardness increased to 52% of the S4 sample due to the 15% ZrO₂ nanoparticle reinforcement and it was also noticed that the S4 (Al/5% SiC/15% ZrO₂) sample of hybrid nanocomposite had a higher wear resistance than the S1 (Al/5% SiC) sample composite.