Examining the Weight Loss Characteristics of MoS2-Reinforced AlMg1MoS2u Alloy Composites

Abstract

A composite material was fabricated using the stir-casting method with reinforcement levels of 3%, 5%, and 7%. This study investigated the effects of load, speed, and sliding distance on wear rate and friction coefficient. ANOVA was employed to identify the most impactful factors, while S/N ratio analysis was used to determine the optimal parameter settings for reducing wear and friction. Results showed that wear rates increased as the sliding distance grew, and higher applied loads also led to elevated wear rates in the composites. The alloy with 7-weight percent molybdenum disulfide reinforcement showed enhanced metallurgical properties, attributed to the strong interfacial bonding between the matrix and the reinforcing particles leading to better performance than the base alloy. SEM and EDS analyses were utilized to study the microstructure of the worn surfaces and identify wear particles. A wear rate of 320 μm was recorded at the highest load of 35 N, a speed of 409 rpm, and a sliding distance of 300 m, while the lowest wear rate of 79 μm was observed at a load of 15 N, a speed of 136 rpm, and a sliding distance of 150 m.