A Comparative Study on Wear Properties of As Cast, Cast Aged and Forge Aged A356 Alloy with Addition of Grain Refiner and/or Modifier

In the present work, a comparative wear behavior study of three categories of materials viz, as cast, cast aged (casting followed by T6) and forge aged (forging followed by T6) has been investigated. Neither melt treatment nor solid state processing (like aging and forging) seems to be altering the wear behavior of the materials drastically. Cast aged A356 materials exhibit higher wear resistance compared to as cast and forge aged A356 materials. Further, it was observed that cast aged samples register lower coefficient of friction compared to other samples. It is also noted that the difference in wear behavior is revealed only at conditions of higher load, higher speed and longer sliding distance of testing. At lower regimes the difference is marginal. Among cast aged samples, ones treated with combined addition exhibit better wear resistance compared to other materials. Samples treated with combined addition register lowest coefficient of friction followed by samples treated with Sr, those with B, those with Ti and untreated ones. Abrasive wear mechanism is found to be operative in the regime of higher loading and higher velocity of sliding. Adhesive wear mechanism seems to be dominating the wear process at the lower regime of load and velocity of sliding.