Effect of Fe content on the friction and abrasion properties of copper base overlay on steel substrate by TIG welding

Copper base alloy was overlaid onto 35CrMnSiA steel plate by tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding method. The heat transfer process was simulated, the microstructures of the copper base overlay were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), and the friction and abrasion properties of the overlay were measured. The results show that the Fe content increases in the overlay with increasing the welding current. And with the increase of Fe content in the overlay, the friction coefficient increases and the wear mechanism changes from oxidation wear to abrasive wear and plough wear, which is related to the size and quantity of Fe grains in the overlay. While with the increase of Fe content in the overlay, the protection of oxidation layer against the oxidation wear on the melted metal decreases.