Tribological behavior of Ti2SnC particulate reinforced copper matrix composites

The layered ternary carbide Ti2SnC has outstanding mechanical and electrical properties. Therefore, the Cu matrix composite reinforced by Ti2SnC expects combined merits of both materials. In this article, we synthesized the copper matrix composites reinforced by Ti2SnC ceramic particles using hot-pressing method. The tribological behaviors of pure copper and composites reinforced with Ti2SnC were studied on a block-on-ring tester. The blocks were slid against 52100 steel rings under dry ambient conditions. It showed that the friction coefficient and wear rate of Cu matrix composites decreased significantly by incorporation of Ti2SnC particles. The wear rate of pure copper was about eight times that of the Cu–10 vol.% Ti2SnC composite under a sliding velocity of 20 m min−1 and a normal load of 30 N. The satisfied low friction coefficient and wear resistance prove that Ti2SnC is a promising reinforcement material for Cu matrix composite. In addition, the effects of sliding velocity and normal load on wear behavior were investigated for pure copper and Cu–Ti2SnC composites.