This work aims to develop a carbon fiber/epoxy composite reinforced by metal fillers (Copper/Stainless steel) in order to improve the tribological properties. For this, a tribological study has been conducted using a ball-on-disc configuration. The surface of the material has been modified by deposing a layer of metal powder during manufacturing. For a better understanding of the wear mechanisms, the worn surface characteristics have been examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The coefficient of friction and the wear rate under different normal loads have been determined for the filled and unfilled composite. The results obtained revealed an increase of the wear rate with the increase of the applied load. Metallic filled carbon–epoxy showed better wear resistance and friction behaviour under different loads. In fact, microhardness measurement showed that the surface hardness has been greatly influenced by the metal filler. The overall results illustrate the impact of metal powders in the modification of polymer matrix composites surfaces. This method is promising to improve the tribological properties.

中文翻译：

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金属填料层增强碳纤维-环氧树脂复合材料的摩擦学研究

这项工作旨在开发一种由金属填料（铜/不锈钢）增强的碳纤维/环氧树脂复合材料，以改善其摩擦学性能。为此，已经使用圆盘球结构进行了摩擦学研究。通过在制造过程中沉积一层金属粉末可以对材料的表面进行改性。为了更好地了解磨损机理，已使用扫描电子显微镜（SEM）检查了磨损的表面特性。已经确定了填充和未填充复合材料在不同法向载荷下的摩擦系数和磨损率。获得的结果表明，磨损率随施加的载荷的增加而增加。金属填充的碳-环氧树脂在不同负载下表现出更好的耐磨性和摩擦性能。事实上，显微硬度测量表明，表面硬度已受到金属填料的很大影响。总体结果说明了金属粉末对聚合物基复合材料表面改性的影响。该方法有望改善摩擦学性能。