Friction and wear properties of Cu-based self-lubricating composites in air and vacuum conditions

Cu-based self-lubricating materials containing two different solid lubricants （graphite and MoSs） were fabricated by P/M hot pressing techniques. Physical and mechan- ical properties of the samples were examined. The effects of graphite and MoSs contents on friction coefficient and wear rate were investigated by a ring-on-disc wear machine in air and vacuum conditions, respectively. Tribo-films formed on the worn surfaces were characterized by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and X-ray photo- electron spectroscopy （XPS）. The results indicated that density, hardness and bending strength all increased with the increasing content of MoS2, while the relative density was opposite. Sample B containing 15 vol. pct graphite and 15 vol. pct MoS2 pos- sessed superior tribological properties both in air and vacuum conditions. However, the tribo-films formed on the worn surfaces of the sample B were greatly discrepant in composition at different testing conditions. In air, the volume ratio of MoS2 and graphite in the tribo-films is 0.31：1 whereas the ratio in vacuum is 1.07：1.

A Cu-based bulk amorphous alloy composite reinforced by carbon nanotube

Bulk Cu50Zr40Ti10 amorphous alloy composites reinforced with carbon nanotube （CNT） were successfully fabricated by hot pressing technique. Their density, thermal conductivity, and mechanical properties were systemically investigated. The density and the compression strength of the compacts both decrease with increasing CNT content. The thermal conductivity of the compacts decreases when the CNT content is less than 0.10% or exceeds 0.60% （mass fraction）, while increases when the CNT content is in the range of 0.1%-0.6%. The strain limit and the modulus of the compacts are obviously improved when the CNT content is less than 1.0% and then decrease significantly when the CNT content exceeds 1.00%. The optimum CNT addition is less than 0.20% at the comprehensive properties point of view.

The Friction and Wear Properties of the Spherical Plain Bearings with Self-lubricating Composite Liner in Oscillatory Movement

A test method based on the condition simulation and a friction and wear test machine featuring in oscillatory movement were set up for self-lubricating spherical plain bearings (SPB). In the machine the condition parameters such as load, angle and frequency of oscillation and number of test cycles can be properly controlled. The data relating to the tribological properties of the bearing, in terms of friction coefficient, linear wear amount, temperature near friction surface and applied load, can be monitored and recorded simultaneously during test process by a computerized measuring system of the machine. Efforts were made to improve the measurement technology of the friction coefficient in oscillating motion. In result, a well-designed bearing torque mechanism was developed, which could reveal the relation between the friction coefficient and the displacement of oscillating angle in any defined cycle while the curve of friction coefficient vs number of testing cycles was continuously plotted. The tribological properties and service life of four kinds of the bearings, i.e, the sampleⅠ-Ⅳ with different self-lubricating composite liners, including three kinds of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fiber weave/epoxy resin composite liners and a PTFE plastic/copper grid composite liner, were evaluated by testing, and the wear mechanisms of the liner materials were analyzed.

Microstructure of Cu-based Amorphous Composite Coatings on AZ91D Magnesium Alloy by Laser Cladding

To improve the sliding wear resistance of AZ91D magnesium alloy, Cu-based amorphous composite coatings made of CuaTTi34Zr11Nis and Cu47Ti34Zr11Ni8＋20 wt pct SiC powders were fabricated on AZ91D magnesium alloy by laser cladding, respectively. SEM （scanning electron microscopy）, EDS （energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy）, XRD （X-ray diffraction） and TEM （transmission electron microscopy） techniques were employed to study the phases of the coatings. The results show that the coatings mainly consist of amorphous phase and different intermetallic compounds. The reason of formation of amorphous phase and the function of SiC particles were explained in details.

Self-lubricating behavior of Fe_(22)Co_(26)Cr_(20)Ni_(22)Ta_(10)high-entropy alloy matrix composites

Eutectic high entropy alloys(EHEAs)have high temperature stability,good mechanical properties,and are promising for tribological applications at high temperatures.To study the high temperature lubrication behavior,Fe_(22)Co_(26)Cr_(20)Ni_(22)Ta_(10)−(BaF_(2)/CaF_(2))x(x=3−20,wt.%)composites were prepared by spark plasma sintering(SPS),with BaF_(2)/CaF_(2) eutectic powder used as solid lubricant.The lubrication behavior and mechanical properties were studied at both room and high temperatures.With the increase of the content of BaF_(2)/CaF_(2) eutectic powder,the friction coefficients and the wear rates of the composites at 600 and 800℃ decrease significantly.The composites with eutectic powder content of 15 and 20 wt.%have the best lubricating performance at 600℃,with low friction coefficient and wear rates,mainly due to the good mechanical properties of EHEA matrix,the lubrication effect of BaF_(2)/CaF_(2) phase and the oxides formed on the worn surface.

Tensile,compressive and wear behaviour of self-lubricating sintered magnesium based composites

The graphite （Gr）/MoS2 reinforced Mg self-lubricating composites were prepared through powder metallurgy. The composites were characterized for microstructure, physical, mechanical and wear properties. Gr/MoS2 phase in the composites was identified by XRD analysis. Microstructural observation showed that the Gr/MoS2 particles were homogeneously dispersed within the magnesium matrix. Micro-hardness was measured using an applied load of 5 g with a dwell time of 15 s at room temperature. Hardness of all the composites was measured to be in the range of VHN 29？34. The mechanical properties were studied using micro-hardness, tensile and compression tests. A fractographic analysis was performed using scanning electron microscope. The highest values of hardness, compressive strength and tensile strength were attained using Mg-10MoS2 composite. A pin-on-disk tribometer was used to measure the friction coefficient and the wear loss of the sintered composites. In addition to that, the friction and wear mechanism of the composites were systematically studied by worn surface characterization and wear debris studies using SEM analysis. The reduced friction coefficient and wear loss were achieved in MoS2 rather than Gr.

Tribological Behavior of Ni-based Self-lubricating Composites with the Addition of Ti3SiC2 and Ag2W2O7

The tribological properties of Nickel-based composites containing Ti3 SiC2 and Ag2 W2 O7 fabricated by spark plasma sintering against Si3 N4 balls were investigated using a ball-on-disk tribometer from room temperature to 600 ℃. The tribolayers formed on the friction surface and their effects on the tribological properties of composites at different temperatures were discussed based on the worn surface characterization. The results show that Ag2 W2 O7 is decomposed into metallic silver and CrWO4 during the high-temperature fabrication process. The composite with the addition of 20 wt% Ti3 SiC2 and 5 wt% Ag2 W2 O7 exhibits a friction coefficient of 0.33-0.49 and a wear rate of 7.07×10-5-9.89×10-5 mm3/（Nm） over a wide temperature range from room temperature to 600 ℃. The excellent tribological properties at a wide temperature range are attributed to the formation of a glaze layer at low temperature and a tribooxide layer at high temperature, which can provide a low shearing strength for the synergistic effects of Ag and tribooxides.

Effect of filler on the self-lubrication performance of graphite antimony composites

Graphite antimony composites were prepared using a mechanical pressure infiltration method to force molten antimony into graphite preforms having a percolation micro-structure and a hop-pocket power filler. The micro-structural and macroscopic properties of the graphite antimony composites were analysed. Observations included metallographic analysis, physical properties and friction and wear behaviour. The results show that the wear loss is decreased by 12.24% and that the friction coefficient is re-duced by 32.61% after hop-pocket power was used. The research indicates that the hop-pocket power method gives a useful way to reduce friction coefficients and wear loss, and to increase service life and self-lubrication properties, of the graphite antimony seal-ing material as compared to carbon black.

Modeling and prediction of tribological properties of copper/aluminum-graphite self-lubricating composites using machine learning algorithms

The tribological properties of self-lubricating composites are influenced by many variables and complex mechanisms.Data-driven methods,including machine learning(ML)algorithms,can yield a better comprehensive understanding of complex problems under the influence of multiple parameters,typically for how tribological performances and material properties correlate.Correlation of friction coefficients and wear rates of copper/aluminum-graphite(Cu/Al-graphite)self-lubricating composites with their inherent material properties(composition,lubricant content,particle size,processing process,and interfacial bonding strength)and the variables related to the testing method(normal load,sliding speed,and sliding distance)were analyzed using traditional approaches,followed by modeling and prediction of tribological properties through five different ML algorithms,namely support vector machine(SVM),K-Nearest neighbor(KNN),random forest(RF),eXtreme gradient boosting(XGBoost),and least-squares boosting(LSBoost),based on the tribology experimental data.Results demonstrated that ML models could satisfactorily predict friction coefficient and wear rate from the material properties and testing method variables data.Herein,the LSBoost model based on the integrated learning algorithm presented the best prediction performance for friction coefficients and wear rates,with R^(2) of 0.9219 and 0.9243,respectively.Feature importance analysis also revealed that the content of graphite and the hardness of the matrix have the greatest influence on the friction coefficients,and the normal load,the content of graphite,and the hardness of the matrix influence the wear rates the most.

Effect of WS_2 addition on electrical sliding wear behaviors of Cu-graphite-WS_2 composites

Four kinds of Cu-based composites with different mass ratios of graphite and WS2 as lubricants were fabricated by hot-pressing method. Electrical sliding wear behaviors of the composites were investigated using a block-on-ring tribometer rubbing against Cu-5%Ag alloy ring. The results demonstrated that 800 ~C was the optimum sintering temperature for Cu-graphite-WS2 dual-lubricant composites to obtain the best comprehensive properties of mechanical strength and lubrication performance. Contact voltage drops of the Cu-based composites increased with increasing the mass ratio of WS2 to graphite. The Cu-based composite with 20% graphite and 10% WS2 showed the best wear resistance due to the excellent synergetic lubricating effect of graphite and WS2. The reasonable addition of WS2 into the Cu-graphite composite can remarkably improve the wear resistance without much rise of electrical energy loss which provides a novel principle of designing suitable sliding electrical contact materials for industrial applications.

Preparation and tribological performances of Ni-P-multi-walled carbon nanotubes composite coatings

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes （MWNTs） were wet-milled in the presence of ammonia and cationic surfactant and then used as reinforcements to prepare Ni-P-MWNTs composite coatings by electroless plating. The tribological performances of the composite coatings under dry condition were investigated in comparison with 45 steel and conventional Ni-P coating, Micrographs show that short MWNTs with uniform length and open tips were obtained through the wet-milling process. The results of wear test reveal that the Ni-P-MWNTs composite coatings posses much better friction reduction and anti-wear performances when compared with 45 steel and Ni-P coating. Within the MWNTs content range of 0.74%-1.97%, the friction coefficient and the volume wear rate of the composite coatings decrease gradually and reach the minimum values of 0.08 and 6.22x10-15 m3/（N.m）, respectively. The excellent tribological performances of the composite coatings can be attributed to the introduction of MWNTs, which play both roles of reinforcements and solid lubricant during the wear process.

Effect of wear conditions on tribological properties of electrolessly-deposited Ni-P-Gr-SiC hybrid composite coating

The friction and wear properties of the electrolessly-deposited Ni-P-Gr-SiC composites were investigated. The effects of graphite content, load and rotation speed on the friction coefficient and wear resistance of the composite coatings were mainly investigated. The worn surface and cross section of the coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. The results show that the composite coatings reveal good antifriction and wear resistance due to the synergic effect of graphite and SiC particles. The formation of graphite-rich mechanically mixed layer （GRMML） on the surface of Ni-P-Gr-SiC coating contributes to the good tribological behavior of the wear counterparts and SiC particles play a load bearing role in protecting GRMML from shearing easily.

Wear behavior of SiC/PyC composite materials prepared by electromagnetic-field-assisted CVI

Silicon carbide/pyrolytic carbon (SiC/PyC) composite materials with excellent performance of self-lubrication and wear resistance were prepared on SiC substrates by electromagnetic-field-assisted chemical vapor infiltration (CVI). The composition and microstructure of the SiC/PyC materials were investigated in detail by XRD, SEM and EDS, etc. The effects of the deposition temperature on the section features and wear resistance of the SiC/PyC were studied. The results show that the PyC layers were deposited onto SiC substrates spontaneously at a lower deposition temperature. The SiC substrates deposited with PyC can significantly reduce the wear rate of the self-dual composite materials under dry sliding condition. The wear tests suggest that the SiC/PyC composite materials own a better wear resistance property when the deposition temperature is 800 °C, and the wear rate is about 64.6% of that without the deposition of PyC.

Effects of environment on dry sliding wear behavior of silver-copper based composites containing tungsten disulfide

Silver based composites containing different amounts of WS2were prepared by hot-pressing method and their tribologicalbehaviors were investigated against coin silver under humid air,dry nitrogen and vacuum on a ball-on-disk tester with normal load of5N.The components of composites,microstructure of debris and worn surface were characterized using XRD SEM,EDS and XPS.It is demonstrated that environmental conditions significantly affect the tribological behavior of silver based composites.The frictioncoefficient is the highest in humid air,and the lowest in dry nitrogen.It is found that the friction and wear behavior of the compositesare strongly depended on the characteristics of the lubrication film forming in different operating environments,such as thicknessand composition.In addition,it is indicated that the dominant wear mechanisms of silver based composites are abrasive wear anddelamination under different conditions.

Sliding Wear of the Hybrid Kevlar/PTFE Fabric Reinforced Phenolic Composite Filled with Nano-titania

The Kevlar/polytetrafluroethylene（Kevlar/PTFE） fabric composite can be used as a self-lubricating liner of the self-lubricating bearing.Many types of nano-particles can improve the tribological performance of the polymer-based composite.Unfortunately,up to now,published work on the effect of nano-particles on the tribological performance of the fabric composite which can be used as a self-lubricating liner is quite scarce.Therefore,for the purpose of exploring a way to significantly improve the tribological performance of the fabric composite,the tribological performance of the Kevlar/PTFE fabric composite filled with nano-titania is evaluated by using the block-on-ring wear tester.The scanning electron microscopy is utilized to observe the morphologies of worn surfaces of the fabric composites and the counterparts.The tensile properties of the composites are evaluated on the universal material testing machine.The test results show that the addition of nano-titania at a proper mass fraction of the matrix resin improves the wear resistance and the tensile strength,decreases the friction coefficient,and makes the wear volume of the composite reach a relative steady state more quickly;plastic deformation and microcutting are important for the wear of the fabric composite;a lubricating layer is formed on the worn surface of the composite during sliding,and the lubricating layer is critical for the tribological performance of the composite;the formation and properties of the lubricating layer are influenced by the nano-titania particles.The proposed study on the effect of nano-titania on the tribological performance of the Kevlar/PTFE fabric composite,especially on the evolution of the worn surface of the composite,provides the basis for further understanding of the influence mechanism of the nano-particles on the tribological performance of the composite and explores a method of improving the tribological performance of the composite.

Fabrication of in-situ synthesized ceramic reinforced Ni-based alloy composite coatings by reactive braze coating processing

In-situ synthesized ceramic such as TiC,Cr7C3 and Cr5B3 reinforced Ni-based alloy composite coating was fabricated on the surface of mild steel substrate by reactive braze coating processing with colloidal graphite,Cr,Ni,ferro-boron,Si and titanium powders as the raw materials at low temperature of 1000℃,and a new kind of coating materials was developed.By means of SEM,EDS,XRD and surface hardness tester,the microstructures,phases,hardness and wear-resistance of the coating were analyzed,respectively.The results revealed that the coating was mainly composed of the ceramic in-situ synthesized reinforcement phases of TiC,Cr7C3 and Cr5B3 and the binder phases in-situ synthesized of Ni31Si12 and(Ni,Fe)solid solution;The ceramic reinforcement phases of TiC,Cr7C3 and Cr5B3 were randomly distributed in the binder phases of Ni31Si12 and(Ni,Fe)solid solution;The coating had about 15vol%pores and can possibly be applied as a self-lubrication coating;The coating and the substrate were integrated together by metallurgical bonding;The coating had a hardness up to 91-94HR15N.

Effect of melt infiltration parameters on microstructure and mechanical properties of tungsten wire reinforced(Cu_(50)Zn_(43)Al_(7))_(99.5)Si_(0.5) metallic glass matrix composite

Using melt infiltration casting at different temperatures （965, 990 and 1015 °C） for different time （10 and 15 min）, the composites of （Cu50Zr43Al7）99.5Si0.5 bulk metallic glass reinforced with tungsten wires were produced. X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and quasi-static compression tests were carried out to evaluate the microstructure and mechanical properties. The results show that the maximum ultimate compressive strength and strain-to-failure of about 1880 MPa and 16.7% were achieved, respectively, at the infiltration temperature of 965 °C for 15 min.

Effect of Carbon Nanotube on the Oscillating Wear Behaviour of Metal-PTFE Multilayer Composites

Two kinds of metal-PTFE multilayer composites, which were composed of a steel backing, a middle layer of sintered porous bronze and a surface layer of polytetrafluoroethylene（PTFE） filled by carbon nanotubes（CNTs） or not, were prepared. The wear properties of metal-PTFE multilayer composites oscillating against 45 carbon steel under dry condition were evaluated on an oscillating wear tester, and the effect of CNTs on wear behaviour of metal-PTFE multilayer composites was studied. The results showed that the worn surface of metal-PTFE multilayer composites was characterized by adhesive wear, abrasive wear and fatigue wear. The CNTs greatly increased the adhesion strength of PTFE in the metal-PTFE composites and thereby greatly reduced puck, ploughing, and fatigue failure of PTFE during wearing. The PTFE filled with CNTs prevented direct contact between the mating surfaces and served as fine self-lubricating film, in which the oscillating wear mechanism of the composites was changed to a slightly adhesive wear. Therefore, the CNTs significantly decreased the weight loss and obviously increased the wear resistance of metal-PTFE multilayer composites.

Physical, Antioxidant and Thermal Shock Properties of Cu/Ti_2AlC Conductive Composites

Cu/Ti2AlC composites were fabricated by vacuum hot-pressing technique. Phase composition was analyzed by XRD and morphology of fracture was observed by SEM. Physical performance such as density, resistivity, hardness and friction coefficient with different volume fraction of Cu/Ti2AlC composites were studied. When the content of Ti2AlC increased from 10% to 70%, the relative density reduced from 99.38% to 90.56% and the resistivity increased significantly. Hardness reached the maximum value when Ti2AlC was at 60% and friction coefficient declined with the increasing of Ti2AlC. Cu/Ti2AlC composites, showing good conductivity properties and friction performance. Oxidation resistance enhanced obviously with the content of Ti2AlC increasing. Cu-60%Ti2AlC sample possessed optimum thermal shock resistance, and no cracking was found at 600 ℃ cycled for 10 times and 900 ℃ cycled for 1 time.

Transitions in Wear and Friction of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Copper Matrix Composite Sliding Against AISI-1045 Steel

The friction and wear properties of carbon fiber reinforced copper matrix composite in dry sliding against AISI-1045 steel was evaluated by a block-on-ring test machine. It was shown that the low frictional factor and wear rate of the composite block could be maintained when pressure or velocity was below a certain value. But when the pressure or velocity exceeded the critical value, the friction factor and wear rate tended to increase rapidly with pressure and sliding velocity. The morphologies, elemental compositions, and surface profile of worn composite surfaces at different wear stages were analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometry, and profile-meter. It was found that low values of friction and wear were due to a thin solid film forming on the surface of the composite block which includes carbon and copper at a mild wear stage. The film could impede adhesion and provide some degree of self-lubrication. When the film included more metal elements and were damaged, severe wear happened, and the wear rate increased sharply. As a result, a transition diagram in friction and wear was constructed, which provided pressure and velocity conditions of change from mild wear and low friction to severe wear and high friction for the wear-resisting design.