TRIBOLOGICAL STUDIES ON DRY AND WET SLIDING BEHAVIOR of A356.1 ALLOY REINFORCED WITH ZIRCONIUM NANOMETAL MATRIX COMPOSITES

Aluminum nanometal matrix composites (Al-NMMCs) have emerged as promising materials with enhanced mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties that are used in high-performance applications such as automotive, aerospace, military, and transport compared with conventional aluminum alloys. The incorporation of nanosized reinforcements, such as zirconium oxide nanoparticles, into the aluminum matrix offers significant improvements in strength, stiffness, and wear resistance while maintaining lightweight characteristics. Pongamia oil is a sustainable and environmentally friendly lubricant that has been used in recent advancements to improve the performance of these composites. In this research, an A356.1 aluminum alloy reinforced with zirconium oxide nanoparticles was produced through the stir casting method at a temperature of 650 ∘ C for various weight percentage ratios like 1.0%, 2.0%, 3.0%, and 4.0%. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by PXRD and SEM. Wear tests were carried out on pin-on-disc apparatus with varying parameters of load, time, and speed for dry sliding wear and wet sliding wear. Results showed that nanometal matrix composites of 4.0% reinforcement of wet sliding wear and coefficient of friction have improved tribological properties.