22.08.2023
Influence of the method of introducing strengthening particles on the tribomechanical properties of sintered Al-Sn-Fe alloys
Employees from the Laboratory of Physics of Consolidation of Powder Materials have studied the dependence of the mechanical properties of the sintered dispersion-strengthened Al-40Sn alloy on the method of introducing particles of the strengthening phase into it. Two types of powder mixtures were analyzed: one, in addition to aluminum and tin powders, contained pure iron powder in an amount from 5.5 to 14.6 wt.%, and the other, in addition to elemental Al and Sn powders, contained aluminide powder FeAl3. The atomic composition of the mixtures was the same, the volume fraction of tin also remained unchanged in all mixtures - 20%. The work discusses the mechanisms of formation of the structure of Al-Fe-Sn composites during liquid-phase sintering of powder mixtures and its influence on the tribomechanical properties of materials.
The sintered material in all cases was a composite containing 3 phases: a-Al, b-Sn and FeAl3. Mechanical tests showed that with an increase in the iron content, regardless of the method of its introduction into the composition of the sintered samples, the strength of the sintered composites increased, and the ductility decreased. It has been established that the addition of ready-made FeAl3 particles to the sintered mixture has a more favorable effect on the mechanical properties of the resulting composites than the addition of pure iron powders to the mixture. Tribological tests of sintered composites have shown that FeAl3 solid particles in their composition reduce abrasive wear of the surface of the steel counterbody during dry friction, which from a practical point of view is of great importance, since replacing a worn shaft is more difficult and costs much more than replacement bearing.
The tensile strength of the composites obtained in this work reached 180 MPa, while maintaining their high ductility. This fact allows us to consider the resulting composites as antifriction materials suitable for the manufacture of sliding bearings, capable of replacing bearings made of heavy and expensive bronze in friction units.
The work was carried out within the framework of the state assignment of the Institute of Physical Problems and Problems of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, topic number FWRW-2021-0006.
Rusin, N.M., Skorentsev, A.L., Dmitriev, A.I. Effect of the Reinforcing Particle Introduction Method on the Tribomechanical Properties of Sintered Al-Sn-Fe // Alloys. Metals 2023, 13, 1483, (Impact Factor 2.9, Q1 Scopus).
https://doi.org/10.3390/met13081483