Dry sliding friction and wear characteristics of Fe–C–Cu alloy containing molybdenum di sulphide

Sintered steels find increasing application as bearings and gears due to economical and technical reasons. Materials used for making these machine elements need to have high strength, good wear resistance and low coefficient of friction. An attempt is made to develop molybdenum di sulphide added iron–copper–carbon sintered steels using simple single stage compaction and sintering elemental powders. Friction and wear characteristics of the developed materials were evaluated using cylindrical specimens in a pin-on-disc sliding apparatus. Addition of molybdenum di sulphide increases the compressibility and increases the part density. Strength and hardness of the molybdenum di sulphide added compositions are better than the base composition. Addition of the 3% molybdenum di sulphide is found to be beneficial in improving friction and wear characteristics. Higher amount of brittle phases in the 5% molybdenum di sulphide added sample contributes to the reduction in the wear resistance.