Investigation of Tribological Characteristics of Cu-Ti Alloys Processed by Multi-Axial Cryo-Forging

Cu-XTi alloys (X = 1.5 and 4.5%) were subjected to multi-axial forging (MAF) under cryogenic condition up to three passes successfully. Characteristics of the MAF-processed alloys were analyzed using microstructural analysis, hardness and wear tests. Worn surface morphology and elemental analysis was performed by scanning electron microscopy. The hardness of samples increases with higher MAF passes due to strain hardening and grain refinement. Wear test was done for six various sliding distances (500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500 and 3000 m), two different loads (10 and 20 N), and two different velocities (1 and 2 m/s) using the pin-on-disk wear test rig. Wear loss of as-received samples is higher than MAF-pressed samples due to an increase in hardness, but wear loss increases as the load increases. Coefficient of friction is reduced with the increase in MAF pass, which is due to strain hardening effect. The worn surface exhibits the plastic deformation regions, delamination, plowing and formation of oxide layers, which was revealed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. Also, MAF-processed samples exhibited abrasive wear mechanism as a result of formation of oxygen layer as revealed in SEM micrographs.