Electrical and tribological properties of composite material with copper matrix reinforced by superelastic hard carbon

Abstract

Electrical and tribological properties of a copper-based composite material reinforced by superelastic hard carbon particles are studied. Composite material specimens have been produced using the hightemperature pressing of mixtures of copper and fullerene powders. Electrical and tribological reciprocal tests carried out using the plane-on-plane arrangement have shown that the coefficient of friction of the composite material–Ni pair is lower than that of the reference L63 brass–Ni pair at similar values of contact electrical resistance. The abrasive wear resistance of the composite material is 40 times higher than that of brass. The developed copper-based composite materials reinforced by superelastic carbon particles hold promise for use in sliding electrical contacts.