Abrasive wear response of aluminium alloy–sillimanite particle reinforced composite under low stress condition

The abrasive wear behaviour of aluminium alloy–sillimanite particle reinforced composite under low stress condition has been reported and the results have been compared with the corresponding matrix alloy which was produced and cast under similar conditions. The study showed that wear resistance (inverse of wear rate) of the composite was higher than the matrix alloy. The wear rate decreased with sliding distance and increased with applied load irrespective of materials. The worn surfaces and subsurfaces of the tested samples were examined in the scanning electron microscope in order to understand the material removal mechanism during low stress abrasive wear process.