Influence of Cu on the mechanical and tribological properties of Ti 3 SiC 2

Abstract Ti 3 SiC 2 /Cu composites with different contents of Cu were fabricated by mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering method. The phase composition and structure of the composites were analyzed by X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy. The mechanical and tribological properties of Ti 3 SiC 2 /Cu composites were tested and analyzed compared with monolithic Ti 3 SiC 2 in details. The results show that the Cu leads to the decomposition of Ti 3 SiC 2 to produce TiC x , Ti 5 Si 3 C y , Cu 3 Si, and TiSi 2 C z . The friction coefficient and wear rate of the composites are lower than that of monolithic Ti 3 SiC 2 , which is ascribed to the fixing effect of hard TiC x , Ti 5 Si 3 C y , and Cu 3 Si to inhibit the abrasive friction and wear. However, at elevated temperatures (ranging from room temperature to 600 °C) the friction and wear of the composites are higher than those at room temperature. Plastic flowing and tribo-oxidation wear accompanied by material transference contribute to the increased friction and wear at elevated temperatures.