Effect of T7 heat treatment on the dry sliding friction and wear properties of the SiC-reinforced AA 2014 aluminium matrix composites produced by vacuum infiltration

Dry sliding wear properties of SiC-reinforced AA 2014 aluminium matrix composites produced by vacuum infiltration method were investigated using a pin-on-disc test machine after examining their microstructural and mechanical properties. It was observed that the porosity of the composites decreased with increasing volume ratio up to 2% SiC; above this level, porosity of the composites reached almost constant levels. The hardness of the composites increased continuously with increasing SiC content. It was observed that T7 heat treatment increased the wear resistance and removed the dendritic structure of the produced composites. The highest wear resistance was obtained from AA 2014-2%SiC composite both as-cast and heat-treated conditions. Wear resistance of the composites tested was observed to be strongly dependent on their porosity rather than their other properties.