Journal of Materials Processing Technology 152 (2004) 323328

Sliding wear and friction behaviour of Al18% Si0.5% Mg alloy

D.K. Dwivedi , T.S. Arjun, P. Thakur, H. Vaidya, K. Singh
Mechanical Engineering Department, Regional Engineering College, Hamirpur 177005, India
Received 14 April 2004

Abstract
In present paper, the influence of copper on wear-friction behaviour of hypereutectic AlSi alloy (Al18% Si0.5% Mg) has been
investigated. Sliding tests were conducted under dry sliding conditions against hardened steel En-31 counter surface over a range of sliding
speed from 2.0 to 7.0 m/s and contact load from 10 to 80 N. It was observed that the wear rate is a function of contact load, sliding speed,
composition and thermal softening characteristics of sliding metal. Wear of hypereutectic aluminiumsilicon alloy is not appreciably
affected with the addition of copper. However, addition of copper increases the transition load at 2.0 m/s sliding speed. Copper addition
more than 2%, did not show any effect on the transition load.
2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Sliding speed; Contact load; Interface temperature; Microstructures; Mild oxidative wear and severe wear

1. Introduction
The wear of components made of AlSi alloys depend
on number of material related parameters, i.e. shape, size,
composition and distribution of micro constituents in addition to the operating conditions such as load, sliding speed,
temperature, environment and counter surface [13]. Various researchers [26] have observed that increase in normal
load increases the wear rate. As load is increased the oxide film becomes increasingly sensitive to bulk failure and
transition to severe wear may take place [46]. In recent
studies [2,710] on wear behaviour of cast aluminium alloys has been explained in light of subsurface deformation.
Venkataraman and Sundararajan [7] reported that friction
and wear behaviour of Al, Al-7075 alloy and AlSiC can be
best understood in terms of the formation and fracture rate
of the mechanically mixed layer (MML) rather than the bulk
properties of the material. Perrin and Rainforth [9] have reported that there is direct relationship between the wear rate
and depth of subsurface damage. In low-pressure conditions,
wear does not show much change with the variation in alloy
composition or sliding speed and wear is primarily controlled by removal of oxide in form of wear debris. Tribological layer generically, leads to a significant difference in
the wear response since the properties of the layer differ from
those of the bulk. Wear rate is governed by the near-surface
properties and so the tribological layer plays a critical role
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: dkd@recham.ernet.in (D.K. Dwivedi).

0924-0136/$ see front matter 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2004.04.379

in wear prediction [10]. Influence of alloying and sliding

parameters has been reported [1114] on wear behaviour of
cast aluminium alloys. Lingaurd et al. [11] and Gibson et al.
[12] observed that addition of silicon, copper, magnesium increases the hardness and strength through precipitation hardening, which may increase the wear resistance and transition
load further. Harun et al. [15] have reported that modification
and subsequent heat treatment of cast aluminiumsilicon alloy enhances the wear resistance. The addition of Ti to the
binary AlSi alloy led to the precipitation of Al3 Ti phase.
Among the Ti-containing alloys, the increase in Ti content
improves wear resistance of both as-cast and heat-treated alloys. However, these alloys displayed higher wear rates, thus
lower wear resistance, compared with the AlSi binary alloy
[16]. Subramanain [17] studied the influence of sliding speed
on wear rate of eutectic aluminiumsilicon alloy and found
that increase in speed initially lowers the wear rate subsequently it increases abruptly. Literature survey revealed that
influence of copper on wear of hypereutectic AlSi alloys
has also not been investigated in detail. To fill up this gap
present work was undertaken. In this work, effects of copper
additions, load, sliding time on wear and friction coefficient
of Al18% Si0.5% Mg has been investigated.
2. Experimental procedure
2.1. Material
Experimental alloy Al18% Si0.5% Mg alloy was
prepared by controlled melting of high purity aluminium

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Fig. 1. Principle diagram of pin on disc wear and friction monitor.

(99.99%), Al20% Si, Al10% Mg, and Al30% Cu master

alloys in appropriate quantities in a graphite crucible using
a muffle furnace. Alloy was modified by addition of 0.01%
P in form of red phosphorous. Molten metal was poured in
metallic mould of size 25 mm 25 mm 150 mm. Rods
of 25 mm section were solutionised at 500 C for 7 h followed by quenching into water (30 C) and age hardening
at 165 5 C for 8 h. Wear test pins (cylindrical) of diameter 6mm and length of 20 mm were prepared by turning
and one end of pin was polished.
2.2. Friction and wear behaviour
A pin on disc type wear monitor (DUCOM, TL-20, Bangalore) with data acquisition system was used to evaluate
the wear behaviour of aluminium alloys against hardened
ground steel (En-31) disc having hardness of RC60 and
surface roughness (Ra ) 0.5 m (Fig. 1). Load was applied
on pin by dead weight through pulley string arrangement.
The system had maximum loading capacity of 200 N.
Disc was rotated by D.C. motor, having speed range of
02000 rev min1 to yield sliding speed of 010 m/s. During
the sliding change in height of the specimen was recorded
using a linear variable differential transformer (accuracy
2 m and range 2 mm). This was used as a measure of wear.
The friction force was recorded during the experiment by using a load cell (accuracy 0.1 N and capacity 200 N). Counter
surface was abraded against carbide polishing papers and
cleaned with acetone and dried before each sliding test.
Temperature and wear were acquired at rate of 5 samples/s
during the 60 min of sliding over a range of speed from 2.0
to 5.0 m/s and normal load from 10 to 80 N. Variation in
disc revolution per minute (at 80 mm track diameter) was
used to regulate the sliding speed. Sliding conditions when
a lot of vibration, noise and gross metal transfer take place
has been considered as seizure like conditions.

Fig. 2. Weight loss vs. copper content relationship under varying loads
at 2.0 m/s sliding speed.

3. Results and discussion

Basic wear curves (weight loss versus sliding time) were
obtained for all the alloys compositions at various loads
subsequently wear rates were calculated (Fig. 2). These wear
rates were used for comparative study. Wear of alloy as a
function of load at sliding velocity 2.0 m/s is shown in Fig. 3.
It is observed that with increasing load from 10 to 50 N wear
rate of all alloy compositions increases gradually. Mode of
wear under these conditions appears to be oxidative. Increase
in applied load above 50 N causes abrupt rise in wear rate
for alloy with 0% copper; however wear rate of alloy with
different % of copper alloy increases gradually up to 80 N
load. It is apparent that addition of copper increases the
transition load.
Wear of alloy with varying copper percentage (15%) as
a function of sliding speed at constant load, i.e. 50 N shows
that with increase in sliding speed from 2.0 to 5.0 m/s wear
rate initially decreases up to a critical speed beyond that it
increases (Fig. 4). This critical speed above which abrupt
increase in wear rate is noticed appears to be a function of
alloy composition. Critical speed for alloy without copper
is found to be 4.0 m/s whereas that for alloy with copper is

2.3. Temperature measurement

Temperature measurements of wear pin during the sliding were carried out with chromelalumel thermocouple.
Thermocouples were placed into a hole of 2 mm diameter
at 1.5 mm away from sliding surface drilled up at axis of
cylindrical pin. Temperature was recorded with help of digital temperature indicator after 60 min of sliding.

Fig. 3. Wear rate vs. load relationship for alloy with varying percentage
of copper at 2.0 m/s sliding speed.

D.K. Dwivedi et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 152 (2004) 323328

325

Fig. 4. Wear rate vs. sliding speed relationship for alloy with varying
percentage of copper at 50 N load.

3.0 m/s. It is observed that the addition of copper does not

affect this critical speed.
Optical microphotograph of Al18% Si0.5% Mg alloy
(Fig. 5) reveals coarse primary silicon particles in a matrix
of eutectic as expected from the equilibrium phase diagram.
Primary silicon crystals are of sizes in range of 50200 m.
Copper probably has gone into the aluminium solution.
Fig. 6a shows the SEM image of worn surface of alloy
(after 60 min sliding at 2.0 m/s speed and 50 N load) wear

Fig. 5. Optical microphotographs (200) of alloy with (a) 0% and (b)

2% copper.

Fig. 6. SEM images of worn out surface of (a) alloy with 0% copper
after sliding 2.0 m/s speed and 50 N load, (b) alloy with 0% copper after
sliding at 2.0 m/s speed and 70 N load and (c) alloy with 2% copper after
sliding at 50 N load and 5.0 m/s sliding.

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D.K. Dwivedi et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 152 (2004) 323328

Fig. 8. SEM images of subsurface region of alloy with 2% copper after

sliding at 50 N load and 2.0 m/s sliding speed.

Fig. 7. SEM images of wear debris generated after sliding of alloy with
2% copper at 50 N load and (a) 2.0 m/s and (b) and 5.0 m/s sliding speed.

scars, craters, and oxides tempting to oxidative wear. Fig. 6b

shows the SEM image of worn out surface of as cast alloy
(after 60 min sliding at 2.0 m/s speed and 70 N load) smooth
strips, severe plastic deformation of surface, and crack indicating the occurrence of metallic wear. Fig. 6c shows the
SEM image of wear surface after sliding at 50 N load and
5.0 m/s sliding speed. Wear surface shows the gross plastic
flow of metal metallic fracture of ridges and edge cracking. These features are indicating the occurrence of severe
metallic wear.
Various shapes and sizes of wear debris were found as a
result of dry sliding. Fig. 7a and b shows the SEM images
of wear debris formed during sliding of alloys under different conditions. The debris includes the flakes, chips, and
oxide powder. Because of some oxide particles, microchips,
delamination flakes are present in wear debris the mechanism of wear may include oxidative wear, micro-cutting

and delamination wear. The debris essentially consists of

laminates produced by fracturing of compacted material. It
shows that during sliding of wear pin, more than one process
takes part in generation of debris as most of the debris particles are laminates, agglomerates of particles and metallic
strings. Morphological observations of worn pin surface at
different loads, and that of debris collected at different loads
indicate that delamination is a main mechanism responsible
for removal of material in mild oxidative wear conditions.
Failure by a delamination process is clearly indicated by the
shape of the debris particles. Long metallic debris generated
at high loads and sliding speed indicating the occurrences
of severe metallic wear by physical metallic failure.
SEM image of oblique section of Al18% Si0.5% Mg
alloy (Fig. 8) reveals the nature of subsurface damage caused
by sliding process. Eutectic silicon particles are seen in state
of fragmentation. In addition to this primary silicon particles
are also seen in the process of fragmentation at the subsurface region. The fragmented eutectic silicon particles further
break into smaller size particles as they approach towards
surface. Subsurface region is punctuated by the presence of
finely fragmented silicon particles.
Rise in interface temperature was measured under different sliding conditions after 30 min sliding. It is observed
(Table 1) that increase in load and sliding speed increases the
interface temperature. It appears that the addition of copper
decreases the interface temperature especially at low load
and sliding speed. At high speed and load temperature is
not affect appreciably with the copper additions. It is found
that alloy without copper shows the transition from, mild
to severe at 150 C at 50 N load and 5.0 m/s sliding speed
whereas similar trend was noticed with the copper (15%)
at about 130 C at 50 N load and 4.0 m/s sliding speed. It
reveals that copper additions at higher sliding speed or interface temperature does not significantly affect the wear
response of material. Increase in transition load from 50 to

D.K. Dwivedi et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 152 (2004) 323328
Table 1
Interface temperature ( C) for all alloy compositions as a function of (a)
load at 2.0 m/s sliding speed and (b) sliding speed at 50 N load
(a) Load (N)
10
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%

0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%

Cu
Cu
Cu
Cu
Cu
Cu

Cu
Cu
Cu
Cu
Cu
Cu

20

30

38
45
68
36
42
64
35
41
62
35
40
60
35
40
60
35
41
61
(b) Sliding speed (m/s)

50
98
90
88
87
86
88

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

98
90
88
87
86
88

112
110
107
105
104
104

122
118
116
120
120
120

145
155
156
160
165
163

70

80

130
98
95
93
94
95

150
110
105
103
103
104

70 N was noticed at 2.0 m/s sliding speed when rise in interface temperature just up to approx. 100 C took place.
Oxidation and thermal softening of material with rise in
interface temperature are two main factors, which control
the wear and friction response against given counter surface.
Oxide film may or may not be beneficial from friction and
wear point of view. In case when oxide film is ductile, thick,
continuous and adhered to the surface it reduces the direct
metallic contact, hence friction and wear, where as brittle
and discrete oxide film is detrimental because it acts as hard
impurity or particle (third body) between mating surfaces.
Heat generated at high load causes more oxidation but that
is counteracted by continuous fracture under those conditions [18]. Addition of copper hardens the matrix and makes
surface more coherent and strong. Stable and coherent surface reduces the abrasion and effectively transfers the load
without causing gross plastic flow in surface region, which
destabilises the surface, and bring in metallic wear conditions. Therefore, mild oxidative wear conditions are maintained up to 80 N load in the alloys with copper (Fig. 3).
Increase in copper content also increases the surface oxidation, which may be attributed to little increase in wear rate
at higher % of copper. As material removal at low loads
and sliding speed primary takes place due to oxidation and
fracture of oxide film. It shows that copper acts in two different ways: (a) increases the hardness of matrix and makes
it more coherent which reduces the abrasion and increases
the transition load; (b) increases the oxidation of sliding surface and hence wear rate in mild oxidative wear regime (low
loads and speeds) [19]. Metallic wear occurs by one of the
following two mechanisms. Material may extrude out from
the sides of the contact giving rise to thin slivers which, subsequently, separate to produce wear debris. Fracture plays
no intrinsic role in the wear process, and occurs only in the
separation of wear debris which would otherwise remain attached to the sides of the contact. The second mechanism

327

is the fracture of surface material, causing a piece of material to leave the surface as wear debris. This is the so-called
delamination wear [12].
Thermal softening of the materials owing to temperature
rise beyond the limits makes the surface unable to transfer
the load in subsurface region without gross plastic deformation/flow. Dwivedi [2,3] and Lingaurd et al. [11] have
noticed that if large-scale plastic deformation at the surface does not take place than oxidative wear is maintained.
At comparatively low temperature increased hardness and
strength due to addition of copper resists the yielding of asperities and gross plastic deformation in near-surface layer
that makes oxide film more stable. Critical speed (speed at
which transition from mild to severe wear occurs) does not
increase with the addition of copper possibly due to the fact
that high temperature hardness of this alloy is not affect by
copper additions. However, additions of copper increases in
transition load. It may be attributed to increase in hardness
(at low temperature) with addition of copper due to solid
solution strengthening and formation of inter-metallic compound CuAl2 . Increased oxidation of alloy surface with copper addition may be attributed to little decreases in friction
coefficient. Increase in sliding speed increases the interface
temperature that may promote the surface oxidation and reduce the direct metallic contact hence friction coefficient
[13,17,19].

4. Conclusions
I. Increase in load increases the wear gradually in mild
wear regime and beyond certain critical load (transition
load) wear increases abruptly.
II. Transition load of hypereutectic alloy increases with the
addition of copper.
III. Addition of copper does not affect the oxidative wear
resistance appreciably at low loads; however, alloy with
higher percentage of copper (35%) is subjected increased wear rate especially at higher loads.
IV. There is a critical sliding speed (at a given load) for
each alloy at which transition from mild to severe wear
takes place. This critical speed is not affected with the
addition of copper in hypereutectic alloy.
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