JFET_V4_N4_RP2 S. Charles V.P. Arunachalam S. Arunachalam Tom Page Journal on Future Engineering and Technology 2230 – 7184 4 4 6 15 Cryogenics, Wear, Reinforcements, Material removal rate, Tool wear rate, Surface roughness This research is an exploration of the essential phenomena that determine the response of silicon carbide-reinforced aluminium composite materials to thermal cycling between cryogenic and ambient temperatures. This analysis began with an general approach that investigated the role of production, processing, and machining of composite materials along with a study of their mechanical behaviour at cryogenic temperatures. Composite specimens were subject to electro-discharge machining to develop mathematical models for the prediction of machining parameters such as metal removal rate, tool-wear rate and surface roughness. A five level factorial design was selected for the purpose of experimentation and mathematical models were developed using the experimental design software application DOE-PC IV. An analysis of variance technique was applied in order to calculate the regression coefficients and to test the significance of the models developed. This approach provided an understanding of how temperature and volume as a percentage of SiC influence composite machining behaviour. The values of hardness, wear resistance and tensile strength properties are high for cryo-treated specimens and these values reduce proportionally with increases in temperature. Such properties also increase with increasing the percentage volume composition of SiC reinforcements. The microstructure of the wear specimens show the worn out layers and the the grooves formed in their debris. The cryo-treated and the higher reinforced specimens (by percentage volume) exhibit lesser material removal and tool wear which increases with increase in temperature. There is also observed a relatively higher surface roughness when there is greater material removal. May - July 2009 Copyright © 2009 i-manager publications. All rights reserved. i-manager Publications http://www.imanagerpublications.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=151