Characterization of the Microstructure of Al–Mg Alloy Matrix Syntactic Foam by Three-Dimensional Analysis

Quantitative analysis of the dispersion of hollow particles in aluminum alloy matrix syntactic foam is important because it influences the mechanical properties and deformation behavior of the foam. To this end, three-dimensional analysis can provide more clear results than can two-dimensional analysis. In this study, aluminum-magnesium alloy matrix syntactic foams were manufactured through stirring casting. The cenosphere dispersion and wear behavior were investigated using micro-computed tomography. In addition, the cenosphere-added A3M syntactic foam was surface-treated with wire-brushing to investigate the effect of surface treatment on the wear characteristics and behavior changes. The wear tests were performed at a vertical load of 50 N and a linear speed of 0.5 m/s for a sliding distance of 500 m. The addition of the cenosphere particles led to a change in wear behavior from adhesive to abrasive and reduced the coefficient of friction. The brushing surface treatment reduced the wear rate of the A3M syntactic foam and effectively suppressed the delamination phenomenon.