Fabrication of Al/Babbitt surface bearing through friction stir processing

Abstract

Purpose

A self-lubricant surface composite including Al matrix and Babbitt alloy 11 reinforcement has been fabricated via friction stir processing (FSP).

Design/methodology/approach

The optimum processing condition is estimated by statistical analysis of a L9 Taguchi design of experiment. The results of Taguchi analysis suggested four passes of FSP, traverse speed of 40 mm/min and rotational speeds of 1,250 rpm as the optimum parameters to achieve higher hardness and wear resistance.

Findings

The needle-shaped particles are fragmented into the finer particles after FSP. There is uniform distribution of precipitations after FSP. The microhardness of manufactured surface bearings has been increased. Finer particles, smaller grains and in situ formed intermetallic precipitations (AlSb) can be responsible for hardness enhancement. Wear resistance of base metal also has been remarkably enhanced after FSP.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper lies in the following: new self-lubricating surface composite; a tough and resistant to wear sheets; and using a solid-state method to fabricate a surface bearing.

Citation

Arab, S.M., Hosseini Zeidabadi, S.R., Jenabali Jahromi, S.A., Daneshmanesh, H., Zebarjad, S.M. and Janghorban, K. (2017), "Fabrication of Al/Babbitt surface bearing through friction stir processing", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 69 No. 6, pp. 930-937. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILT-12-2016-0294