LI Chenchen, YANG Xuefeng, MA Tao, CAO Jinlong

(School of Mechanical Engineering University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, Shandong, China)

Abstract: Al₂O₃/TiC/CNTs ceramic composites were prepared by hot-pressing process. The friction properties including friction coefficient and wearing capacity of samples were investigated with different loads and rotation speeds, the surface morphologies of the wear were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that when CNTS was filled into the ceramic matrix, the CNTs played a role in reducing the wear, and the friction coefficient and wearing capacity of the Al₂O₃/TiC/CNTs ceramic composites were reduced. Under the same load, with increased rotation speed, the friction coefficient of the samples decreased. At the same speed, with increased applied load, the friction coefficient of the samples decreased. Compared with Al₂O₃/TiC ceramics, the wearing capacity of Al₂O₃/TiC/CNTs ceramic composites fluctuated very little. The wear amount did not change significantly with different loads and rotation speeds. With the increase of CNTs content, the wear amount decreased first and then increased. During the frictional contact, the CNTs fall off to form a lubricating film, which blocks the contact between the friction pairs and reduces the wearing capacity and friction coefficient. Fatigue wear is the main form of wear of Al₂O₃/TiC/CNTs ceramic composites.
Key words: ceramic materials; carbon nanotubes; friction and wear; forms of wear