EFFECT OF MoS2 And CeO2 POWDER ADDITION BY FRICTION STIR PROCESSING ON WEAR AND CORROSION PROPERTIES OF Al7075 ALLOY

Aluminium alloys, a structural material owing to their high strength to weight ratio are often subjected to extensive wear and corrosive environment. Considering the situation, in this article; a hybrid composite was made by integrating MoS₂ and CeO₂ powder in Al 7075 alloy by friction stir processing. The microstructure of the prepared composite was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The microstructure revealed good distribution of the powders in aluminium matrix. Dry sliding wear performance against WC ball was measured for the composite as well as for the unreinforced aluminium alloy. A significant decrease in friction coefficient of the composite was observed due to the presence of lubricating MoS₂ powder. The worn surfaces were studied using SEM to understand the mechanisms involved in degradation of the surfaces. The oxidation and severe adhesive type of wear in aluminium changed to a combination of abrasive and adhesive type of wear in the composite. The material loss due to wear was measured and the specific wear loss was calculated.