A mathematical model to evaluate wear depth of an aluminium alloy reinforced with a silicon carbide particle composite using finite element analysis

Abstract

In the present study, an attempt is made to synthesize an aluminium alloy–silicon carbide (SiC) particle composite using a liquid metallurgy route and to characterize the composites in terms of sliding wear behaviour and numerical simulation by finite element analysis. The sliding wear behaviour was studied using a pin-on-disc apparatus with the composite pin sliding against an EN32 steel counter surface at different applied loads and sliding speed. The experimentalresultsforthealuminiumalloy–SiCparticlecompositewerevalidatedusingamathematicalmodel.Awearequationwasusedtopredictthesteady-statewearrates.Itisbasedonan exponential transient wear volume equation and Archard’s equation. An algorithm for the finite element model to simulate wear tests was also developed. The predicted results were in good agreement with the experimental values.