Wear Characteristics of Al 6061 Reinforced with Graphite under Different Loads and Speeds

This work investigates Al 6061 alloy with graphite particle impregnated metal matrix composites under dry sliding conditions. The conventional casting techniques were used for preparing the composite material. Experiments were conducted under dry sliding conditions for determining the wear behavior of Al 6061 alloy- Graphite composite material with varying wt % graphite content under different sliding speeds and at different loads. Sliding distance of 250m was commonly used for the wear test. A pin on disc machine was used for conducting the wear test. The test was conducted under atmospheric conditions. Wear rate decreases with increased sliding speed and increases with increasing load. Worn surfaces of the composites were examined through scanning electron microscope. The wear loss of the composite material with 5Wt % graphite was found to be minimum with respect to sliding speeds and loads.