Effect of the fabrication method on the wear properties of copper silicon carbide composites

Abstract

The wear properties of copper and copper silicon carbide composites processed by powder metallurgy (PM) and high-pressure torsion (HPT) under different sliding distances and applied loads by using dry reciprocated sliding wear test were investigated. HPT improves wear resistance obviously not only relative to PM samples and but also to results previously noted for different Cu composites. The grain refinement with the formation of bimodal and trimodal microstructures after HPT processing improves the wear properties. Wear mechanism depends mainly on material processing method, it converted from adhesive, delamination in the case of PM samples into abrasive wear after HPT. X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis and surface morphology observations of the worn samples and WC ball prove and support the wear results.