Influence of structural parameters and compositions on the tribological properties of alumina/graphite laminated composites

High-performance alumina/graphite laminated composites are potential candidates for moving components because of their excellent self-lubricating ability and mechanical property. The relationships among the structural parameters, compositions of the weak layers, dry sliding friction and wear behavior of the materials are investigated in this study. Results show that the variations of structural parameters and compositions of the weak layers cause significant changes in the volume fraction of graphite phase, spacing among the graphite layers and interfacial state between the two layers, thus affecting the formation of lubricating and transferring films, load-bearing capacities and wear mechanisms of the materials. The optimized material exhibits good anti-wear and friction-reduction properties under dry friction. When the volume fraction of graphite phase is close to 20%, the friction coefficient of the alumina/graphite laminated composites can be reduced to 0.31, which was approximately 55% lower than that of the monolithic Al2O3 ceramic. Furthermore, the stability of friction and wear resistance of the alumina/graphite laminated composites can be improved further by adjusting the compositions of the graphite layers. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.