Effect of ECAE on Microstructure and Tribological Properties of Cu–10%Al–4%Fe Alloy

Equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) process was carried out for a commercial aluminum bronze alloy (Cu–10%Al–4%Fe) produced by hotrolling at high temperature. The effect of ECAE on microstructure, mechanical, and tribological properties of the alloy was investigated. Experimental results showed that the grain size of the alloy decreased with the increase of the pass number of ECAE. After applying ECAE with six passes, the hardness and yield strength of the alloy increased from 118 kgf/mm² and 356 MPa to 165 kgf/mm² and 588 MPa, respectively. The friction coefficient and wear rate of the aluminum bronze alloy were largely reduced due to the improvement of mechanical properties after ECAE. The adhesive wear was the primary wear mechanism for the specimen without ECAE, while abrasive wear was dominant for the specimen with ECAE after six passes.