Dry Sliding Wear Mechanism Maps of Al–7Si–0.3Mg Hybrid Composite: Novel Approach of Agro-Industrial Waste Particles to Reduce Cost of Material

Waste materials are one of the biggest threats facing the environment today. In the present work, an attempt has been made by the utilization of waste materials into raw materials to reduce the material cost and so turn industrial wastes into industrial wealth. Experiments were performed in dry sliding conditions using a pin-on-disc apparatus against an EN31 steel counterface with an applied load of 10–50 N and sliding speed of 1–5 m/s with a sliding distance of 1200 m. The dominant mechanism in each regime was examined using a wear mechanism map. Severe wear, ultra-severe wear and mild wear regimes are observed by plotting a transition map through microstructural observations. The A356/10% (rice husk ash–fly ash) hybrid composite achieved higher wear resistance compared to an Al alloy. The mild wear regime is increased by the addition of waste particles. Worn surfaces and wear debris are identified using scanning electron microscope analysis, and the chemical composition of each element was evaluated by energy dispersive spectroscopy.