High Pressure Water-Jet Technology for the Surface Treatment of Al-Si Alloys and Repercussion on Tribological Properties

Md. Aminul Islam, Zoheir Farhat, Jonathon Bonnell

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DOI: 10.4236/jsemat.2011.13017                

Abstract

Recent developments in high pressure water-jet technology have brought the process to the forefront as a means of surface treatment. Water jet technology offers cleaning, cutting, processing as well as potential refinement of surface properties. By adapting the process parameters the surface characteristics can be changed while the profile remains the same. In the present study, water-jet technology was used for the surface treatment of Al-Si alloy to investigate its effect on tribological properties. Dry sliding wear behavior was investigated against AISI 52100 bearing steel ball using a reciprocating ball-on-flat configuration. Optical microscopy examination reveals that ploughing of grains, transgranular and intergranular propagation of cracks; are the mechanisms by which material is removed during water jet treatment. While, on the other hand, SEM observation of the wear track reveals that plastic deformation and delamination are the dominant wear mechanism during the wear process. Water jet treatment was compared to hot isostatic pressing in terms of its effects on wear resistance and surface porosity of Al-Si alloy. It was found that, hot isostatic pressing reduces the total amount of porosity at the expanse of hardness while water jet treatment produces a compressed surface having higher hardness and compressive residual stress, which ultimately increases wear resistance.

Keywords

Tribology, High Pressure Water Jet Treatment, Porosity, Surface Treatment, XRD, Reciprocating Wear

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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