High Temperature Friction and Wear Characteristics of Fe–Cu–C Based Self-Lubricating Material

The objective of this paper is to investigate the tribological properties of a novel iron-copper-graphite (Fe–Cu–C) based self lubricating material at high temperature. The effect of Calcium fluoride (CaF 2 ) as a solid lubricant on friction and wear behavior of sintered Fe–Cu–C materials has been studied. Fe–Cu–C based self-lubricating materials were prepared by single stage compaction and sintering process. CaF 2 was added to Fe–2Cu–0.8C based materials in different weight percentages of 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 wt%. The developed materials were tested for mechanical and tribological properties at high temperature (500 °C). The worn out surfaces were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope. The material with 3 wt% CaF 2 exhibited high hardness value where as compression strength of the materials decreased with the addition of CaF 2 . Samples with 3, 6, and 9 wt% exhibited low value of coefficient of friction (COF) than base matrix. The material with 3 wt% CaF 2 addition exhibited better wear resistance as compared to other developed materials. The worn surfaces were mostly characterized by delaminating and abrasive wear. A high temperature solid lubricant CaF 2 was used in Fe–Cu–C based matrix and, the developed composites were tested for tribological properties at high temperature. The results showed that addition of CaF 2 in Fe–Cu–C improved the friction and wear properties. Based upon the findings, the developed material could be used for antifriction applications.