Experimental characterization of tool wear morphology in milling of Al520-MMC reinforced with SiC particles and additive elements Bi and Sn

Combining aluminium as a soft, lightweight, and low-strength material with reinforcing elements may lead to fabricating materials with excellent abrasion resistance and a high strength-to-weight ratio. However, these fabricated materials are classified as difficult to cut materials due to elevated tool wear size. According to the literature, limited studies were reported on the effects of various reinforcing elements on the machinability of Al520-MMC, mainly tool wear morphology and size. Therefore, in the course of this study, Al520-MMCs were fabricated with various reinforcing elements, such as silicon carbide (SiC), bismuth (Bi), and tin (Sn) particles. No similar work was found in this regard. Accordingly, as an originality of this work, besides fabricating new MMcs, the experimental characterization of tool wear morphology was conducted when milling Al520-MMCs with various reinforcing elements. Despite the reinforcing elements used, higher tool flank wear was observed under dry machining. Furthermore, knowing that Al520-MMC is a soft metal, the built-up edge (BUE) was observed under all lubrication modes and cutting speeds. Additionally, abrasion was found in all cutting conditions used. Therefore, it could be stated that the reinforcing elements and cutting speed had the most significant effects, and the lubrication mode had minimal impact on the wear size. Compared with the recorded values of tool flank wear in machining Al520 + 10% SiC, the flank wear was reduced by around 50% when Bi and Sn were used in the matrix structure. In other words, using bismuth (Bi), and tin (Sn) particles may lead to better tool life.