Mechanical Mixing and Wear-Debris Formation in the Dry Sliding Wear of Copper Matrix Composite

The mechanical-mixing process and the wear-debris-forming mechanism in the dry sliding wear of a SiC_p/Cu composite have been investigated. The configuration, composition and microstructure of MML and the wear debris were affected markedly by normal load. The chronological sequences of mechanical-mixing process can be summarized as comminution of entrapped wear particles, mixing and agglomeration, compaction of the admixture. This process leads to the nanocrystalline structure in both MML and wear debris. Besides direct generation from the wearing surfaces by the microcutting effect, the wear debris may come from MML breakage or subsurface delamination.