Construction of Graphite-Copper 3-D Composite Lubricating Layer on Cu663 Alloy Surface and its Tribological Performances

A surface composite-lubrication structure was constructed on the surface of Cu663 alloy using flexible graphite paper textured by laser micromachining technology. Tribological properties, wear and corrosion mechanisms were investigated under dry and seawater conditions. Results indicated that the composite-lubrication structure exhibited excellent self-lubricating properties, and the structural parameters (texture types and geometrical parameters) significantly influenced the friction coefficient and wear rate of the composition-lubrication structure. The composite-lubrication structure showed the optimal tribological properties when the graphite content reached 50%. The friction coefficient and wear rate decreased to 0.14 ±0.01 and (5.10 ±1.33) ×10⁻⁶ mm³/(Nm) respectively, which were nearly 73% and two orders of magnitude lower than those of copper alloy. Under seawater environment, the formation of microelectrodes on Cu663 alloy and textured graphite interface played a critical role in improving the friction performance of the composition-lubrication structure in corrosion conditions.