Effect of iron and manganese on the mechanical and the tribological properties of F332 Al-Si alloys

In the present study، the effects of iron and manganese on the tribological behavior of F332 alloy were investigated. Alloys with addition of 0. 7، 1. 2 and 1. 8wt% iron to the base alloy were prepared. The modification of the alloys was performed by proper additions of manganese. The pin-on-disk wear tests were carried out at room temperature under normal loads of 20، 30، 40، and 80 N، and sliding speed of 0. 5 m/s for sliding distance of 1000m. The results showed that the size and morphology of the iron-rich compounds greatly influenced the tribological behavior of the alloy. In the case of un-modified alloys، the alloy containing 0. 7wt% Fe، showed the best tribological and mechanical properties. Addition of higher amounts of Fe led to the formation of coarse، plate-like intermetallic compounds and، therefore، a considerable decrease in the wear resistance. The modification by manganese improved the tribological properties of the alloys and the highest wear resistance was obtained with the alloy containing 1. 8 wt% Fe.