Effect of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on wear properties of Al7075 alloy produced via stir casting

In this study, aluminum 7075 series alloy was used as matrix material, and composite production was carried out with an innovative method by adding 0.5 % reduced graphene oxide (rGO) by weight. Microstructure analysis was performed on the produced composite with a scanning electron microscope, and phase analysis was conducted with the X-ray diffraction technique. Wear tests were performed under different loads and temperatures. When the results are considered, the addition of very low amounts of rGO by weight increased the hardness of the alloy by 1/5 and improved the wear performance. Once 0.5 wt% reduced graphene oxide was added to the aluminum alloy, the wear rate decreased by 15.5 % under 5 N load, and when this value was increased to 10 N and 20 N, an improvement of 21.46 % and 26.66 % was observed, respectively. This decrease in wear rate at room temperature exhibited the same performance at high temperatures, and a 20 % improvement in wear performance was recorded at 275 °C under 20 N load. Abrasive and oxidative wear mechanisms constituted the basic wear characteristics. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.