Improving the friction and wear behavior of Ti ₃ AlC ₂ -Al ₂ O ₃ reinforced Cu-graphite composites by the design of reactive interface

Cu-graphite composites have been demonstrated to possess considerable potential as electrical contact materials. However, their tribological performance is constrained due to the weak bonding at the Cu-graphite interface. The addition of Ti 3 AlC 2 to the Cu-graphite system was undertaken in this study. The investigation of microstructure, phase composition, and tribological performance of the composites were conducted. The results revealed that Ti atoms decomposed from Ti 3 AlC 2 promoted the formation of TiC bonding at the Cu-graphite interface. Additionally, Al atoms dissolved from Ti 3 AlC 2 and in situ reacted with the Cu oxide, resulting in the dispersed distribution of Al 2 O 3 particles in the Cu matrix. The friction coefficient and wear rate of the composites are 0.14 and 6.84 × 10 −6 mm 3 /N·m, respectively.