Characterizations of cold-sprayed tin particle-reinforced Al alloy-based composites - From structures to tribological behaviour

Dense Al5356/TiN composites, with a porosity less than 1%, were successfully produced by cold spraying (CS) of mechanically blended powders. The effect of TiN volume fraction in the composite on the microstructure and tribological performance of CS Al5356/ TiN were examined. It was found that TiN particles were uniformly dispersed in the matrix. Compared to pure Al5356 deposit, the composites exhibit a decreasing porosity. With increasing TiN volume fraction in the blend, TiN volume fraction in the composite increases correspondingly. The incorporation of TiN particles increases effectively the microhardness, adhesive strength and tribological performance of the composite. The catastrophic wear rate caused by the prominent adhesion force between the two sliding pairs, occurring in the case of pure Al5356, can be avoided by the incorporation of TiN particles.