Abstract

FUENTES, Rosalba; RAMIREZ, José; REYES, Margarita  and  CASTANO, Víctor M. Response to wear of an Aluminum Material Reinforced with Zirconia. Inf. tecnol. [online]. 2006, vol.17, n.3, pp.47-52. ISSN 0718-0764.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0718-07642006000300008.

An aluminum-zirconia composite was developed using powder metallurgy. Zirconia powder was synthesized by a sol-gel method, mixed with aluminum powder, and was compacted and sinterized. The particle size of the aluminum powder utilized was less than 100 microns. The precursor material of zirconia was an n-propoxide of zirconium. Different proportions of zirconia were used in three mixtures at 1%, 3% and 5% by weight. The mixtures were compacted at 58KN and were sinterized at 610°C. Subsequently, the pieces were subjected to wear resistance tests to determine their resistance. The wear test was carried out in a pin-in-disk machine at a speed of 320 rpm and load of 9 KN for a period of two hours. The wear resistance tests showed the tribologic behavior of this composite showing an  increase in wear resistance when the weight percentage of zirconia increases.

Keywords : aluminum; zirconia; powder metallurgy; sol-gel; wear.