Investigation of Friction and Wear Behavior of Carbon Fiber Felt Reinforced Aluminum-matrix Composites

Carbon fiber felt reinforced aluminum matrix composites were prepared by means of squeeze infiltration process. The friction and wear behavior of the composites sliding against 5CrNiMo alloy was examined on an MG 2000 high speed and high temperature test rig in a pin on disc configuration. The morphology and structure of the carbon fiber felt and the morphologies of the worn surfaces of the composite and the matrix alloy were observed with a scanning electron microscope. The morphologies of the wear debris of both the composite and the matrix alloy were examined with a scanning electron microscope as well. As the results, the composites show better wear resistance and lower friction coefficient than the matrix alloy. This is attributed to the generation of a composite solid lubricating film composed of metal oxide and carbon film on the worn surfaces. The composites experienced a transition from steady state wear to severe wear.