Self-Lubricating Iron-Based Metal Matrix Composites

Abstract

Self-lubricating metal matrix composites are the budding materials that succour the scientists to link up the clamour of universal commencement for imperishability and green manufacturing. The self-lubricating metal matrix composites have prevailed from many years with standard lubricant materials such as h-BN, graphite, MoS2, WS2, BaF2 and CaF2. Carbon nanotubes and graphene have recently been introduced by researchers and incorporated into metal matrix composites. In the meantime, modern procedures and fabrication methods have risen, such as additive manufacturing techniques, which grant symbolic modification in self-lubricating metal matrix composites. The tribological performance, fabrication methods and modern research on iron-based self-lubricating metal matrix composites is reviewed in this chapter. The property relationship and fabrication processes are discussed, for example variation in testing parameters and friction and wear change by solid lubricants. The third-body approach is used to elucidate tribological behaviour as much as possible, which highlights the material properties at the sliding interface. Based on the review of iron-based self-lubricating metal matrix composites and their tribological performance, guidance for subsequent research is made, that prominence the use of iron-based materials, new fabrication and research routes that will tell the complete mechanisms for the formation of tribofilms by these materials that are operative in developing the tribological properties.