Tribological properties of centrifugally cast copper alloy-graphite particle composite

Centrifugal casting technique was used to impart better tribological properties to the inner periphery of centrifugal castings of a C90300 copper alloy originally containing 13 vol pct graphite particles. Microstructural observation of centrifugally cast copper alloy containing graphite particles shows that a graphite-free zone and a graphite-rich zone (25 vol pct) with a unique microstructure are formed near the outer and the inner periphery of the centrifugally cast cylinders, respectively. Wear tests were conducted using a pin-on-disc apparatus running against a cast-iron counterface under dry conditions at applied loads between 44.5 and 267 N and at a sliding speed of 1 m/s. The worn surfaces of pin and counterface were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive Xray (EDX) analysis. The wear rate (1.89 X 10(-3) to 7.59 X 10(-1)3 m(3)/m) and the temperature (50 degrees C to 170 degrees C) at the counterface for the pins from the graphite-rich zone of the centrifugal castings were found to be lower than the friction coefficient (0.52 to 0.75), the wear rate (6.32 X 10(-12) to 3.16 X 10(-11) m(3)/m), and the temperature (70 degrees C to 200 degrees C) at the counterface for the pins from the graphite-free zone (of the same centrifugal casting under similar conditions). A greater transfer of the copper phases from the pin to the cast-iron counterface was observed visually from the pin of the graphite-free zone than from the pin of the graphite-rich zone, which was also confirmed by EDX analysis. This leads to an increase in the weight of the counterface running against the pin from the graphite-free zone with an increase in the applied load. Despite the presence of graphite in cast iron, the presence of graphite in the matrix of mating copper alloys lead to improved tribological properties. The effect of graphite particles on tribological properties of the composites was discussed in terms of the transfer of iron and copper phases, the interparticle distance between graphite in cast-iron and copper-graphite alloys, and the deformability of the matrix containing graphite.