Influence of nano-WC addition on wear performances of Cu–Ni matrix nanocomposites

Abstract

The present study focuses on the effect of tungsten carbide content on wear behavior of Cu based composites which are generally preferred in engineering applications. Nickel 4 wt% was used as the binding agent in order to develop wetting ability between matrix and reinforcement. Cu-4Ni matrix composites were fabricated via powder metallurgy incorporating the different amount of present study focuses on the effect of tungsten carbide (0.5, 1 and 2 wt%). Wear tests were conducted using three different loads (5 N, 10 N and 20 N) in dry sliding conditions. Results showed that hardness of the composites increased with increasing tungsten carbide content. Tungsten carbide additions also lead to improving the wear resistance of copper matrix composites. Abrasive wear mechanism was generally observed for all samples especially for higher loads according to the scanning electron microscope (SEM) results.