Reciprocative sliding friction and wear properties of electrical discharge machined ZrO2-based composites

✍ Scribed by Koenraad Bonny; Patrick De Baets; Pieter Samyn; Filip Lobbestael; Jozef Vleugels; Bert Lauwers; Weidong Liu

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 499 KB
• Volume: 21
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0954-0075
• DOI: 10.1002/ls.100

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Hot‐pressed, laboratory‐made, ZrO~2~‐based composites with 40 vol. % WC, TiCN or TiN were surface finished by electrical discharge machining in order to compare their reciprocating sliding friction and wear response against WC–6wt%Co cemented carbide in unlubricated conditions. Sliding experiments were performed using a Plint TE77 pin‐on‐flat wear test rig, revealing a strong impact of the secondary phase on the tribological behaviour of the ZrO~2~‐based composites. The worn surfaces and wear debris were characterised by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray analysis and surface topography scanning, pointing out abrasion, polishing and adhesion as main wear mechanisms. The most favourable friction and wear characteristics were encountered with ZrO~2~–WC composites compared to the other grades with equal amount of volumetric secondary phase. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.