Abstract

The effects of vacuum induction melting and various concentrations (range of 0-8% by weight) of the titanium aluminium carbide (Ti2AlC) phase on the mechanical and tribological properties of Aluminium hypereutectic alloy (A390) were investigated. The addition of Ti2AlC particles enhances the strength and wear resistance of A390 alloy and also exerts a positive effect on its ductility, Moreover aerospace and automotive brake rotors deserved high strength and high wear resistance. The quick induction heating process could decrease the thermal energy degradation of the Ti2AlC particles into an Al alloy matrix alloy. The structural, microscopic and elemental analysis carried out to observe the hard precipitate components and reveal the various phases of the composites. The addition of Ti2AlC inclusions altered the morphology of eutectic silica to be globular and improved the grain size and evenly distributed within the A390 (Al-16Si) matrix. As the content of Ti2AlC reaches 8 wt% the strength and microhardness of the composites increased 74% and elongation decreased 2.1% (UTS = 285 MPa, H = 127VMH and EI = 1.1%). The tensile and fracture behaviour of the composites has been studied at 30 degrees C, 150 degrees C, and 250 degrees C. The Johnson-Cook model theoretically calculated the accurate flow stress of the Al-16Si/Ti2AlC composites. The negligible decrease in strength and ductility at 250 degrees C was observed. The root mean squared error (RMSE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) values for the stressstrain curves prove the higher relationship between the theoretical and experimental values. The composites containing 8 wt% Ti2AlC reinforcement significantly enhanced the mechanical behaviour with a porosity 2.23%.Therefore this composite exhibited appreciable tribological properties. It appeared that the wear mechanism of the composites abrasive wear at applied pressure 0.2 MPa with sliding distance 2000 m was prevailing. The ANN model addressing the parameters which influence the wear rate and friction coefficient as well as the experimental wear analysis of these composites was correlated precisely with the results of this model.