Abstract
The main objective of this research was to enhance the mechanical and wear characteristics of a silicon bronze (SiBr) alloy without causing a significant reduction in its outstanding electrical properties. Based on this concept, the Ti3AlC2 MAX phase and granite powders were added to SiBr alloy with different volume percentages to prepare hybrid nanocomposites using the powder metallurgy technique. Then, the raw material and milled powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. Notably, the SEM technique was used along with physical properties measurement to investigate the sinterability of the sintered samples. In addition, the mechanical, tribological, and electrical properties of the sintered samples were investigated. The obtained results showed that the successive addition of the hybrid ceramics effectively reduced the particle sizes up to 41.3 nm. Also, the nanocomposite with the highest reinforcement content had a marked improvement in ultimate strength, microhardness, Young's modulus and wear rate by 28, 65, 37.3 and 41.5%, respectively, compared to SiBr alloy. Fortunately, despite this amazing improvement in mechanical properties, the reduction in the electrical properties of the samples was slight (about 9%). Consequently, it can be concluded that adding appropriate ratios of the Ti3AlC2 MAX phase as one of the superimposed reinforcements is the best solution to improve the various properties of SiBr alloys without sacrificing their electrical properties.