Abrasive wear of zircon sand and alumina reinforced Al–4.5 wt%Cu alloy matrix composites – A comparative study

In the present investigation a comparative study on abrasive wear behavior of aluminum metal matrix composite reinforced with alumina and zircon sand particles has been carried out. Microstructures of the composites in as-cast condition show uniform distribution of particles and reveal better bonding in the case of zircon particles reinforced composite compared to that in alumina particles reinforced composite. Abrasive wear resistance of both the composites improves with the decrease in particle size. It is observed that the alumina particle reinforced composite shows relatively poor wear resistance property compared to zircon-reinforced composite.