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The mechanical behavior of Al–Fe–Cr aluminum matrix composites strengthened by nanoquasicrystalline and/or crystalline phases was studied in the temperature range of 77–573 K. The strength characteristics and elongation to fracture during tensile tests of Al94Fe2.5Сr2.5Ti1, Al94Fe2Cr2Ti2, Al94Fe2.5Сr2.5Ti0.7Zr0.3 alloys were determined. It was established that the Al94Fe2Cr2Ti2 composite alloy has the highest strength (σb ≥ 3.87 GPa) among wrought aluminum alloys with satisfactory plasticity (elongation to fracture δ ≥ 5% at 293 K) at the temperature of 573 K. Tribological tests have shown that the wear resistance of Al–Fe–Cr aluminum matrix composites is significantly higher in the case of lubrication than when dry friction occurs. In lubrication, the friction force is almost 5 times less as well. The Al94Fe2Cr2Ti2 composite is optimal by the combination of mechanical and tribological properties among the studied alloys due to the strengthening of the aluminum matrix by nanoparticles with both crystalline and quasicrystalline structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is concerned with the determination of physical plasticity δH (the ratio of the plastic strain to the total strain) and yield stress σS by indentation and the application of these characteristics for analysis of the wear rate W during the friction. The experimental part of the work is performed on the AISI O2 and AISI D2 steels, the surface layers of which were hardened by combined thermomechanical treatment consisted of sequential use of laser heat treatment and ultrasonic impact treatment. For the metals, W is shown to be proportional to δH and inversely proportional to σS. The general scheme for the dependence of W on δH is proposed and based on experimental results for tool steels and hard alloys. For the steels, whose wear is caused by the plastic deformation, W increases with increasing δH, and it decreases conversely for hard alloys worn predominantly by the fracture mechanism. The use of physical plasticity δH and yield stress σS, which are calculated using the hardness and Young's modulus, characterizes both the hardening extent and the wear rate of the surface layers in more full measure and more accurately than the hardness magnitude itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is focused on the effects of the separately applied laser heat treatment (LHT) and ultrasonic impact treatment (UIT) and the combined LHT + UIT process on the wear and friction behaviors of the hardened surface layers of the tool steel AISI D2. In comparison with the initial state, wear losses of the treated specimens after long-term wear tests were decreased by 68, 41, and 77% at the LHT, UIT, and combined LHT + UIT processes, respectively. The Abbott–Firestone bearing curves were used to analyze the material ratio and functional characterization (bearing capacity and oil capacitance) of the studied surface specimens. The wear losses registered after short (15 min) tests correlate well with the changes in experimental surface roughness Ra, and the predictive Rpk, and bearing capacity BC parameters, respectively, evaluated using the Abbott–Firestone curves and Kragelsky–Kombalov formula. The wear losses after the long-term (45 min) tests are in good correlation with the reciprocal surface microhardness HV and with the WL and WP wear parameters, respectively, estimated using Archard–Rabinowicz formula and complex roughness-and-strength approach. The observed HV increase is supported by nanotwins (LHT), by dense dislocation nets (UIT), and by dislocation cells/nanograins fixed with fine carbides (LHT + UIT) formed in the surface layers of the steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper compares wear resistances and friction behaviours of the surface composite layers produced on aluminium of commercial purity (1060) and Al-6Mg aluminium alloy (~5056) using ultrasonic impact treatment (UIT). Atomized powders containing quasicrystalline (QC) phases of two systems, Al63Cu25Fe12 (QC1) and Al93Fe3Cr2Ti2 (QC2), and SiC powder were used as reinforcing media. The layers of composite are formed owing to mechanical mixing of the matrix alloys and reinforcing powders fed into a zone of severe plastic deformation induced by the UIT process. Wear and friction behaviours in inactive liquid paraffin were studied at reciprocating sliding of a Si3N4 semi-spherical indenter in quasi-static and dynamic regimes. It is shown that the QC1 and QC2 reinforcing particles enhance the wear resistance of the 1060 matrix alloy by 10-30% and 50%, respectively. As compared to Al-based layers, the wear resistance of the Al-6Mg alloy matrix composite layers is five times better in static wear conditions and on the order of magnitude better in the dynamic regime. The relative improvement in wear resistance of QC2 reinforced layer (55%) is comparable to that of the SiC reinforced layer (62%) in the quasi-static regime, and exceeds it in dynamic one (34% vs 23%). Laser confocal microscopy shows that the coarse QC1 and SiC reinforcing particles underwent fracture at the production process or at wear test that increased the friction force and deteriorated the wear resistance of the Al-6Mg matrix alloy. Wear behaviour of the produced composite layers is shown can be successfully described by the modified Archard equation that accounts both for the composite hardness and the ratio of the particles fracture toughness and volume fraction to the square root of the particle size. In spite of very low fracture toughness of quasicrystals, the nano-QC particles can support local plasticity, better interfacial bonding, and higher strengthening, and they, therefore, can be used as reinforcing media in the aluminium matrix composites, which would ensure high wear resistance. Considering the wear and friction behaviours of these composite layers the reinforcing efficiency of the aluminium based nano-QC particles is concluded to be comparable with that of the SiC particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]