Title: An experimental study of tribological behaviours of aluminium- and copper-based metal matrix composites for bearing applications

Authors: Vipin Kumar Sharma; Ramesh Chandra Singh; Rajiv Chaudhary

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Delhi Technological University, Bawana Road, Delhi-110042, India; Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology, Rohini Sec-22, Delhi-110086, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Delhi Technological University, Bawana Road, Delhi-110042, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Delhi Technological University, Bawana Road, Delhi-110042, India

Abstract: To improve the tribological properties for journal bearing materials, composites have been developed in this work. Copper-aluminium (Cu-Al), copper-phosphorous (Cu-P), aluminium-flyash (Al-F), and copper-lead (Cu-Pb) composites were produced with stir casting method. Pin on disc experiments were performed in a starved lubrication condition for the evaluation of wear and coefficient of friction between the composite pins and mild steel disc. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images were obtained for the worn composite samples to study the wear behaviour. In this experimental study, copper-phosphorous exhibits better tribological properties as compared to the conventional copper-lead. however, the aluminium-flyash composite resulted in the lowest coefficient of friction and highest wear among all considered composite materials.

Keywords: metal matrix composites; starved lubrication; aluminium; copper; wear; friction; pin on disc; stir casting; tribology; journal bearing; materials innovation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMATEI.2019.101964

International Journal of Materials Engineering Innovation, 2019 Vol.10 No.3, pp.203 - 217

Received: 30 May 2018
Accepted: 16 Oct 2018
Published online: 02 Sep 2019 *

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