Tribological properties of carbon-nanotube-reinforced copper composites

Tribological properties of carbon-nanotube-reinforced copper composites were investigated using a pin-on-disk test rig under dry conditions. The composites containing 4–16 vol% carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were fabricated by a powder-metallurgy technique. The tests were carried out at normal loads between 10 and 50 N, and the effect of volume fraction of CNTs on tribological behavior of the composites was examined. The composites revealed a low coefficient of friction compared with the copper matrix alloy. Due to the effects of the reinforcement and reduced friction, the wear rate of the composites decreased with increasing volume fraction of CNTs at low and intermediate loads. The composites with a high volume fraction of CNTs exhibited high porosity and their wear resistance decreased under high-load conditions.