Friction and wear behavior of C-based composites in situ reinforced with W2B5

The C-W2B5 composites with W2B5 content of 30 vol.% and 40 vol.% were fabricated by reaction hot pressing sintering. The mechanical properties and friction and wear behavior of the composites were investigated. For comparison, the friction and wear behavior of graphite was also studied. It was found that the presence of W2B5 grain resulted in notable improvements in mechanical properties and wear resistance of the composites compared to graphite in spite of a little higher friction coefficient. A graphite-rich mechanically mixed layer (MML) was formed on the worn surface of the composites, which facilitated the low friction coefficient. Fracture and removal of the MML depending on the fracture toughness of the composites and Hertzian stress levels were considered to be the main wear mechanism.