Wear behaviour of hybrid ceramic reinforced FSP surface composite at varying temperatures

The greater challenges in the manufacturing and machine tool sectors are the periodic replacement of moving components due to wear, and its subsequent escalated product cost. The present research aims to address the issue by developing of novel lightweight surface composite reinforced with hybrid particles SiC and Y₂O₃ processed through the Friction Stir Process (FSP). The test specimens were prepared by FSP by following four different wt.% of hybrid particles. The sliding tribological examination was executed to examine the wear characteristics of the surface composite at both ambient and elevated temperature environments. The achievement of dynamic recrystallisation is acknowledged through microstructure and grain size analysis results that reveal the finer grain structure at the nugget zone with the smaller grain size. The wear assessment outcomes endorse the improved wear characteristics of the Al-3SC-1Yo variant by upholding its 126% and 53.88% higher wear resistance than the base material at ambient and elevated temperatures, subject to the normal load of 45 N. The post-worn-out surface analyses proclaim that ambient wear is driven by adhesion, two and three-body abrasion, whereas elevated temperature wear is driven by pure abrasion. It is comprehended from the wear results that 90% more wear loss is recorded during the elevated temperature than the same in the ambient environment. The quantitative comparison of ambient and elevated temperature wear through the observation of surface topography, and the inclusion of hybrid reinforcement on unique base materials are the key novelties of the proposed study.