Tribological properties of Fe3Al–Fe3AlC0.5 composites under dry sliding

The tribological properties of Fe3Al composites with 40, 60 and 80 wt.% Fe3AlC0.5 under dry sliding against AISI52100 steel at ambient conditions were studied. Effects of load and sliding speed on the tribological properties were investigated. Worn surfaces of the composites were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. It was found that wear rate of the composites were in the magnitude of 10−4–10−3 mm3/m. The composites with 60 and 80 wt.% Fe3AlC0.5 had much lower wear rates than that containing 40 wt.% Fe3AlC0.5. The wear rate of the composites increased with increasing load, and decreased at first with increasing sliding speed and then those of the composites with 40 and 80 wt.% Fe3AlC0.5 dramatically increased and that of the composite with 60 wt.% Fe3AlC0.5 slightly increased. Friction coefficient of the composites was in the range of 0.47–0.60 and independent of the carbide content and the load, whereas it increased at first with the increasing sliding speed and then tended to be a constant value. Wear mechanism of the composites was microfracture and the friction behavior related to wear debris layer on the worn surfaces. The composite with 60 wt.% Fe3AlC0.5 had the best tribological properties.