Trend Plot Analysis of Dry Sliding Wear in Al/SiC Co-continuous Ceramic Composites

Composites consisting of an interpenetrated structure of ductile metal and hard ceramic phase are termed as co-continuous ceramic composites (C4). Since C4 can contain a higher fraction of ceramic phase when compared with conventional particulate composites, they are suitable for applications ranging from ballistic protection armour to brake discs. In the present study, wear studies were performed on C4 comprising of three-dimensionally continuous silicon carbide (SiC) foam as ceramic phase and three distinct aluminium alloys. The effect of the applied load on the dry sliding friction coefficient (µ) and specific wear rate (Ws) of C4 was evaluated for the three soft Al penetrant-based C4 utilizing their trend plots. It was inferred that, for all the C4 samples, the µ decreases and Ws increases as the applied load increases. Additionally, the trend plots revealed that, in all loading conditions, the C4 with the highest hardness possessed the lowest µ and Ws. The outcome of this study is of significance to wear performance of C4 in friction and braking applications.