Al 6061 wear properties- help

darkelf

Hello,

Did some wear experiments on some Al 6061 samples. Could anyone help with some microstructure descriptions (changes) and why oxygen should appear in the EDS of severe wear (70N at a sliding distance of 3000M)?

Also if anyone has any papers on wear reistance or coefficient of friction I sure would appreciate it.

Cheers

rmw228

If you exposed the aluminum to air at all following the wear, I would expect oxygen in the EDS signal. Aluminum oxides rapidly, and if you're doing EDS on the surface, there will be a thin layer of Al2O3.

I'm not sure what you mean by microstructure descriptions.

darkelf

Thank you.
If it's been slided against a steel ring, wouldn't metal transfer during severe wear cause Iron Oxide to appear on the Al surface?

Thanks

rmw228

I would actually expect aluminum (and therefore aluminum oxide) to appear on the steel surface. The steel is presumably much harder than the aluminum. Because of this, a wear process would wear away the aluminum, leaving the steel mostly intact.