Abstract
The present study synthesized Cu–4 wt% Ni matrix composites reinforced with different percentages of TiC (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 wt%) through high-energy ball milling, followed by compaction and sintering. The friction and wear behavior was examined at four different normal loads of 5, 10, 15, and 20 N. A constant sliding speed of 1.25 m/s was maintained while sliding against a hardened counterface made of EN31 steel (HRC 60) under ambient conditions using a pin-on-disk test rig. The composite hardness increased until the addition of 4 wt% of TiC, beyond which it was observed to decrease. Such a trend may be attributed to the TiC agglomeration in the composites containing relatively larger amounts of TiC (i.e., 6 and 8 wt%). The wear rate linearly increased with the load. However, the composites exhibited a lower rate of wear than the matrix alloy, which may have resulted from the relatively higher hardness of composites. The observed friction and wear behavior has been explained on the basis of hardness and presence of the transfer layer on the worn surface and its nature, i.e., loose or well compacted. Addition of 4 wt% TiC showed the optimum performance in terms of friction and wear caused by its higher hardness and ability to hold a transfer layer of a relatively larger thickness compared to the other materials. The wear mechanism for the Cu4Ni matrix alloy was a mix of adhesive and oxidative wear and primarily abrasive for the composites containing hard TiC particles.
Highlights
Metal matrix composites (MMCs) have attained growing importance because of their potential applications in the automobile, aerospace, sporting goods and general engineering industries due to their excellent properties [1]
The addition of a relatively higher amount of the reinforcing ceramic particles (TiC) particles may result in the agglomeration leading to the formation of pores in the composites, which could be observed from the micrographs in Figs. 3(b)−3(e) in round circles [22]
The TiC was present in the composite, and no oxygen peak was observed in the spectra, suggesting that no oxidation occurred during the sintering process
Summary
Metal matrix composites (MMCs) have attained growing importance because of their potential applications in the automobile, aerospace, sporting goods and general engineering industries due to their excellent properties (e.g., high specific strength, elastic modulus, specific stiffness, desirable coefficient of thermal expansion, elevated temperature resistance, and superior wear resistance) [1]. Copper-based MMCs are promising materials because of their excellent thermo-physical properties They are being used in several industrial applications, such as in brush and torch nozzle materials, electrical sliding contact materials in homopolar machines, and railway overhead current collector systems, where good wear resistance at a reasonable level of electrical conductivity is the prime requirement [5, 6]. The powder metallurgy route has an edge over liquid-processing methods because it overcomes the problems of porosity, non-uniform distribution of reinforcing particles, and unwanted chemical reactions, which are a part and parcel of the casting route. It results in the production of good quality products, when the ceramic particles are reinforced into the matrix material [8]. The agglomeration of the reinforcement particles in Friction 5(4): 437–446 (2017)
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