Sliding Friction and Wear Behavior of Cu Fe Composites Prepared by Powder Metallurgy

The dry sliding wear and friction tests of Cu Fe composites fabricated by a powder metallurgy technique were carried out on a block on ring test rig. The effects of Fe content, the applied load and the sliding speed on the friction and wear behavior of the composites were investigated. The micromechanisms of wear were studied by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry(EDS). It has been found that the coefficients of friction in sliding of Cu Fe composites against AISI 1045 steel was approximately independent of the applied load and the sliding speed. With increasing Fe content, the wear resistance of the composites increased at lower loads and kept almost unchanged at higher loads,and the coefficients of friction slightly increased. Under a low load and high sliding speed, because of the formation of a protective oxide film on the sliding surface of the specimen and increase in the strain hardening rate in the subsurface of the specimen, the wear rate of Cu Fe composites decreased with increase of sliding speed.