Influence of pore structures on friction and wear properties of iron-based oil-containing composites under dry and self-lubricated sliding conditions

This study successfully prepares iron-based oil-containing materials with connected porous structures using TiH2 and nylon 66 short fibers as pore-forming agents. The dehydrogenation of TiH2 can produce large pore cavities and the nylon 66 short fiber with a highly regular shape has a unique advantage in pore channel production. Compared to the iron-based specimen without the pore-forming agent, the oil content of the iron-based specimen with the two pore-forming agents increases by 33.86 %. The tribologica23ee3l properties of the iron-based oil-containing materials under dry and self-lubricated sliding conditions are evaluated using the MM-200 ring-block sliding tribometer and the HDM-20 end-face friction and wear tester, respectively. Special emphasis is given to the effect of pore structures on wear patterns. The results showed that the material's surface is subjected to significant shear failure under dry sliding conditions, leading to the closure of pores due to plastic deformation during the initial sliding. The connected pore structure is a non-dense region, allowing shear damage to occur in the deeper subsurface of the matrix and increasing the material's wear rate. Under self-lubricated conditions, the connected pore structure facilitates the rapid release of lubricating oil, improves the initial lubrication state, and delays pore closure. As compared with dry friction, the wear rate can be reduced by two orders of magnitude under self-lubricating conditions. At a sliding speed of 0.46 m/s, an appropriate load (about 900 N) can enhance the material's ability to continuously and rapidly supply oil. •Polymer short fiber with a regular shape has an advantage in pore production.•Adding the two pore-forming agents increases the sample oil content by 33.86 %.•Wear behavior of three porous iron-based samples is evaluated.