Microstructural Evolution and Wear Dynamics of Al5052/Cenosphere Metal Matrix Composite Fabricated Through Compo-Casting Technique

The present study uses the compo-casting technique to fabricate cenosphere-reinforced Al5052 alloy. The wear tests were performed utilizing a pin-on-disk apparatus to examine the impact of load, sliding speed, and reinforcement wt.% on the wear rate. Employing response surface methodology (RSM), this research delves into the influences of load, sliding speed, and cenosphere content on the responses. As per the ANOVA analysis, load exhibited the most substantial effect. The ramp plots unveiled the optimal combination for minimizing wear rate identified as 200 rpm sliding speed, 10 N load, and 0 wt.% cenosphere reinforcement. The desirability plots reveal that the prediction value for wear rate is 0.7695 mm³/Nm at a desirability of 96.8%. Incorporating cenosphere particles as reinforcement increased the wear resistance of the aluminum metal matrix composites (AMMCs).