Wear and Mechanical Properties of Short Carbon Fiber Reinforced Copper Matrix Composites

Abstract

The mechanical properties and wear behavior of short carbon fiber reinforced copper matrix composites was studied. In order to avoid any interfacial pronlems in the carbon fibre reinforced composites, the carbon fibers were coated with copper. The fibers were coated by electroless coating method and then characterized. Composites containing different amounts of carbon fibers were prepared by hot pressing technique. The results show that Carbon fiber/Cu–Ni–Fe composites showed higher hardness, higher wear resistance and bending strength than the common copper alloy when carbon fibers content is less than 15 vol.%. The predominant wear mechanisms were identified as adhesive wear in the alloy and adhesive wear accompanied with oxidative wear in the 12 vol.% carbon fiber/Cu–Ni–Fe composites.