Effect of porosity on wear resistance of SiCp/Cu composites prepared by pressureless infiltration

The influence of porosity on the wear behavior of high volume fraction (61%) SiCp/Cu composite produced by pressureless infiltration was studied using a sliding, reciprocating and vibrating(SRV) machine. SiCp/Cu composites slid against hardened GCr15 bearing steel ball in the load range of 40-200 N. The results show that the wear rate increases with increasing porosity. The composite containing low porosity shows excellent wear resistance, which is attributed to the presence of mechanically mixed layer on the worn surface. In this case, the dominant wear mechanism is oxidative wear. Comparatively, the composite containing high porosity exhibits inferior wear resistance. Fracture and spalling of the particles are considered as the main causes of severe wear. Third body abrasion is the controlling wear mechanism. In addition, porosity has more important influence on wear rate at high load than at low load. This is associated with the fact that the fracture and spalling of particles is a process of crack initiation and propagation. At lower load, the pores beneath the worn surface can not propagate significantly, while the pores become unstable and easily propagate under high load, which results in a higher wear rate.