Tribological properties and electrical signal transmission of copper-graphite composites

The correlation between tribological properties of resin bonded copper-graphite composites and electrical signal transmission is investigated. Particular attention is given to the loss of electrical signal at the sliding interface and the amount of signal noise as a function of the composition in the composite. A custom designed slip-ring type tribotester with a copper ring has been used for this study. Results show that the tribological properties of the sliding couple, that is closely associated with morphology of sliding surfaces and the presence of transfer films, determine the amount of voltage drop at the interface and electrical signal noise. The change of the applied load during sliding experiment changes the coefficient of friction (COF) and energy loss at the sliding interface, suggesting that the effective contact area at the rubbing surface of the composite strongly affects the amount of voltage drop. It is also found that the electrical signal noise is directly related with the fluctuation of the friction coefficient caused by the variation of contacts at the sliding interface and by the transient patches of transfer films on the surface of the ring.