EXAMINATION OF WEAR RESISTANCE AND MICROSTRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS RESULTING FROM THE INCLUSION OF SIC IN CYLINDER BLOCK CASTINGS

Abstract

Casting of cylinder block metal with SiC is a material manufacturing process by melting metal at a certain temperature. The purpose of this process is to increase the wear resistance of the specimen surface. In this study, the addition of SiC into melted cylinder block was carried out in furnace with temperature of 1012oC by varying the mixture percentages: pure cylinder block (without mixture), 95%-cylinder block with 5% SiC, 90%-cylinder block with 10% SiC, 85%-cylinder block with 15% SiC. As the result the lowest rate of weight loss was obtained in the variation of the cylinder block mixture of 85% with 15% SiC with an average weight loss value of 0.020 gr. The lowest wear volume was obtained in the variation of the cylinder block mixture of 85% with 15% SiC with an average wear volume value of 0.006 m3, and the lowest wear rate was obtained in the variation of the cylinder block mixture of 85% with 15% SiC with an average wear rate value of 2.23 x 10-6 m3/s. From microstructure observations, in pure block specimens there were α Al and β Si structures, while for SiC it was only found in specimens with variations that had been added with SiC mixture. Chemical composition tests of pure block specimens and cylinder blocks with SiC mixture that had been carried out shown an increase in mass and atoms for the Si element