Wear map for sliding wear behavior of Cu-15Ni-8Sn alloy against bearing steel under oil-lubricated condition

Wear behaviors of a peak-aged Cu-15Ni-8Sn alloy fabricated by powder metallurgy were investigated. The results indicated that the friction coefficients and the wear rates of Cu-15Ni-8Sn alloy within a normal load range of 50-700 N and a sliding speed range of 0.05-2.58 m/s were less than 0.14 and 2.8×10 −6 mm 3 /mm, respectively. Stribeck-like curve and wear map were developed to describe the oil-lubrication mechanism and wear behavior. The equation of the dividing line between zones of safe and unsafe wear life was determined. Lubricating oil was squeezed into micro-cracks under severe wear conditions. In addition, the lubricating oil reacted with Cu-15Ni-8Sn alloy to generate the corresponding sulfides, which hindered the repair of micro-cracks, promoted cracks growth, and led to delamination. This work has established guidelines for the application of the Cu-15Ni-8Sn alloy under oil-lubricated conditions through developing wear map.