Wear Characteristics of Nickel/Silicon Carbide Composite Coating in Lubricated Reciprocating Contacts

Abstract

Wear behavior of nickel/silicon carbide composite (NSC) coating in lubricated reciprocating contacts was investigated. Wear tests were conducted in a newly designed reciprocating tribo-tester. The NSC with the highest SiC volume fraction exhibited the highest wear resistance among the tested NSC coatings. Phosphorus in the NSC caused a higher wear rate due to the reduced fatigue toughness. Fatigue was the dominant mechanism after running-in. A layer wear process was proposed, which indicated that the Ni/SiC interface is the most important factor in fatigue wear resistance.