An Experimental Study on Tribological Behavior of Ceramic Reinforced Metal Matrix Composite (MMC) for Underwater Nuclear Applications

Abstract

The incorporation of ceramic reinforcements into the metal matrix is reported to be effective in the aspect of strength, hardness, wear resistance and other mechanical properties. Stainless steel is widely used material in food and nuclear industries due to corrosion resistance and high strength. The present work deals with fabrication of B4C reinforced AISI 304 metal matrix composite by powder metallurgy method with 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% of reinforcement. The effect of percentage reinforcement on the density, Vickers microhardness, water absorption capacity of the composite is evaluated. XRD analysis was carried out to verify the elements present. The tribological study was also carried out to determine wear and COF of the material using a pin-on-disc setup. The contact pressure of 0.06 MPa and 0.125 MPa, sliding distance of 1.6 m and sliding velocity of 0.005 m/s underwater lubricated condition were used. Powder metallurgy process provides better distribution of reinforcement particles into the matrix material, also has an effect on the hardness and wear properties of the composite material. It was observed that the density of composite is inversely proportional to percentage reinforcement, while the hardness and water absorption capacity are directly proportional to it. The reduction in the wear and COF was reported with an increase in the percentage of reinforcement up to certain limit.