Tribological properties of Cu-La2O3 composite under different electrical currents

A new type of Cu-La2O3 composite was fabricated by internal oxidation method using powder metallurgy. Sliding wear behavior of the Cu-La2O3 composite was studied on a pin-on-disc wear tester under various electrical currents and applied loads. The worn surfaces were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy to probe the wear mechanisms. The results indicated that applied load had a significant effect on the wear rate of the Cu-La2O3 composite pins. The wear rate displayed the minimum value at the load of 50 N during electrical sliding processes. The corresponding wear mechanism was identified to be adhesive wear, abrasive wear, oxidation wear and arc erosion.