Mechanical and tribological properties of zinc-aluminium (ZA-27) metal matrix composites: a review
Pawandeep Singh, R. K. Mishra, Balbir Singh, Vivudh Gupta
Abstract
Zinc-aluminium (ZA) alloys have been used in several industrial operations because of better mechanical and tribological properties, low density and low cast temperature requirements. However, above ambient temperature conditions, there was degradation in the mechanical properties of ZA alloys. Amidst the ZA alloy family, the ZA-27 alloy showed better tensile strength and wear resistance. Therefore, ZA-27 alloy was reinforced with hard ceramic particulates to develop a material for new generation applications with the potential to be used as an advanced engineering material in bearing and bushing applications. This paper discusses the processes involved in manufacturing ZA-27 composites and the impact of various single and hybrid reinforcements on mechanical and tribological properties. It was observed that when single reinforcement was added to form ZA-27 composites, composites showed better mechanical and tribological properties than base ZA-27 alloy. Also, when hybrid reinforced composites are compared with single reinforced composites, hybrid composites perform better than single reinforced composites.