Sliding Wear of Electrically Conductive ZrO2−WC Composites Against WC–Co Cemented Carbide

• Published in: Tribology letters Vol. 30; no. 3; pp. 191 - 198
• Main Authors: Bonny, K., De Baets, P., Vleugels, J., Salehi, A., Van der Biest, O., Lauwers, B., Liu, W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.06.2008; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Cemented carbides; Chemistry and Materials Science; Coefficient of friction; Composite materials; Corrosion and Coatings; Demineralizing; Electric discharge machining; Friction; Frictional wear; Grain size; Material properties; Materials Science; Nanotechnology; Original Paper; Physical Chemistry; Sliding friction; Surfaces and Interfaces; Theoretical and Applied Mechanics; Thin Films; Tribology; Tungsten carbide; Wear rate; Zirconium dioxide; WC composite; SEM; XRD; Wear mechanisms; ZrO; Unlubricated friction
• ISSN: 1023-8883; 1573-2711
• DOI: 10.1007/s11249-008-9326-1

ZrO 2 -based composites with WC addition can be successfully machined by electrical discharge machining (EDM) in demineralised water. ZrO 2 composites with 40 vol.% WC were produced from nanocrystalline and micrometre sized WC starting powders in order to compare their tribological behaviour. Friction and wear data are obtained on wire-EDM’ed ZrO 2 –WC composite flats sliding against a WC–Co cemented carbide pin using a small-scale pin-on-plate testing rig. Correlations between wear volume, wear rate and friction coefficient on the one hand and material properties and test conditions on the other hand were elucidated. The experimental results revealed that the grain size of the electro-conductive WC-phase exhibits a strong influence on the friction and wear behaviour of the ZrO 2 -based composite.