Effects of ultrasonic nanocrystalline surface modification (UNSM) technique on the tribological behavior of sintered Cu-based alloy

Abstract

This paper presents the effects of ultrasonic nanocrystalline surface modification (UNSM) technique on the tribological behavior of sintered Cu-based alloy prepared using a powder metallurgy (P/M) technique. The tribological behavior of the untreated and UNSM-treated specimens was investigated using a ball-on-disk reciprocating tribometer against a bearing steel ball under dry and oil-lubricated conditions. Results revealed that the UNSM-treated specimens led to a lower friction coefficient and higher wear resistance compared to the untreated specimens. The obtained results demonstrated the beneficial effects of UNSM technique. It is expected that the results of this study may be implemented to the automotive industry with the aim of improving the durability of internal combustion engine (ICE) parts which are made of Cu-based bimetal strips.