Improvement of the tribological behavior of high reinforcement concentration Al–SiC (63%) metal matrix composite through laser surface texturing

Abstract

The tribological performance of high reinforcement concentration AlSiC-9 Metal Matrix Composite (63% reinforcement) can be improved by laser texturing. This research performs different topographies by changing the energy density and scanning speed parameters, which modify the liquid retention and wear resistance. Results demonstrated a reduction of up to 60% in the friction coefficient and up to 70% in wear volume. SEM/EDX analysis identified adhesive, abrasive, and plastic deformation as the main wear mechanisms. These results confirm that the main contribution of textures was to improve the lubrication retention and trap wear debris.

Keywords

• Laser surface texturing
• Al–SiC MMC
• Tribological wear
• Lubricant retention
• Coefficient of friction