Preparing and Wear-Resisting Property of Al2O3/Cu Composite Material Enhanced Using Novel In Situ Generated Al2O3 Nanoparticles

Abstract

Al2O3/Cu composite material (ACCM) are highly suitable for various advanced applications owing to its excellent properties. In the present work, a combination of the solution combustion synthesis and hydrogen reduction method was first employed to prepare Al2O3/Cu composite powder (ACCP), and subsequently ACCM was prepared by employing spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique. The effect of Al2O3 contents and SPS temperatures on the properties (relative density, hardness, friction coefficient, and electrical conductivity, et al.) of ACCM were investigated in detail. The results indicated that ACCM was very dense, and microstructure was consisted of fine Al2O3 particles evenly distributed in the Cu matrix. With the increase of SPS temperature, the relative density and hardness of ACCM had first increased and then decreased. At 775 °C, the relative density and hardness had attained the maximum values of 98.19% and 121.4 HV, respectively. With the increase of Al2O3 content, although the relative density of ACCM had gradually decreased, nevertheless, its friction coefficient had increased. Moreover, with the increase of Al2O3 contents, the hardness of ACCM first increased and then decreased, and reached the maximum value (121.4 HV) with 3 wt.% addition. On the contrary, the wear rate of ACCM had first decreased and then increased with the increase of Al2O3 contents, and attained the minimum (2.32 × 10−5 mm3/(N.m)) with 3 wt.% addition.