Microstructure and Wear Behavior of a Manganese Bronze Bearing Material under Unlubricated Conditions

In an attempt to collect information about the tribological performance of copper-based bearings, the friction and wear behaviors of C86300 manganese bronze were investigated. The characteristics of the base material were determined by structural and mechanical investigations. Then, dry sliding pin-on-disc wear tests were performed against an AISI 52100 steel counterface. After the wear tests, the worn surfaces of the pins and wear debris were studied by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. In addition, light optical microscopy and microhardness measurements were performed for examination of the steel counterfaces and worn pin subsurface layers. With increasing normal load, the wear rate of commercial C86300 alloy (containing 0.6 wt% Si) decreased initially and then began to increase. After reaching a maximum wear rate at the load of about 60 N, the wear rate decreased again with a further increase in the normal load. However, the wear rate of this C86300 alloy mainly decreased with increasing sliding speed. Adhesive and abrasive wear were the dominant wear mechanisms under the designed conditions.