TRIBOLOGICAL BEHAVIOUR OF W/Cu NANOSTRUCTURED MATERIALS USED FOR ELECTRICAL CONTACTS

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C. Nicolicescu, 2C. Predescu, 3M. Gavrila

University of Craiova, Faculty of Engineering and Management of the Technological Systems, Drobeta Turnu Severin, Romania
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ADREM INVEST

nicolicescu_claudiu@yahoo.com

Keywords: mechanical alloying, two step sintering, nanostructured materials, wear, electrical contacts.

ABSTRACT
The paper presents the experimental results regarding tribological behaviour of some W/Cu nanostructured materials elaborated by mechanical alloying (MA) process. It was studied W/Cu system with different concentrations (85%W-Cu; 80%W-Cu; 75%W-Cu) The MA process was carried out in a Pulverisette 4 vario ball mill for different times: 2-8 hours. The MA parameters were: grinding bowls volume: 250 ml; grinding bowls material: stainless steel; grinding balls diameter: =10 mm; grinding balls number: 50; grinding balls material: stainless steel; material/balls ratio: 1/5 (40g powder and 200 g balls); alloying medium: air; alloying times: 2, 4, 6, 8 hours; main disk speed: 350 [rot/min]; planets speed -700 [rot/min]. After cold compaction at 600 MPa in a cylindrical die (=12 mm), the samples were two step sintered (TSS). The TSS technique consists in a first heating of the sample to a temperature (T1) equal with the classic sintering temperature, followed by the cooled down to a lower temperature (T2<T1-(100-300 oC)) for suppressing the grain boundary migration [5]. The wear tests have been performed on tribometer TRB 01-02541 (CSM Instruments SA, Switzerland), equipped with InstrumX software, version 2.5A. The ball was DIN 100Cr6 tool steel, 6 mm diameter, Ra < 3,2 m; HRc 60-64; density > 7,6 g/cm3. The parameters used to determine friction coefficients were: Normal force: 2 N; Amplitude: 2 mm; Temperature: 25 oC; Humidity: 40%. It was studied the influence of the MA parameters on the tribological behaviour of W/Cu materials;

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