Tribological behavior of Mn-23Cu-6Ni alloy during rubbing against softer ASTM A36 steel under dry and lubricated conditions
Introduction
The demand for high-functioning materials has increased due to the rapid development of high-precision and high-performance equipment in modern industries, such as the aerospace and electronics fields. Damping alloy is a new type of functional metal material that uses different vibration damping mechanisms to convert external vibrational energy into heat energy. Damping alloys have attracted substantial attention from scientific researchers and for industrial applications since they can reduce mechanical, frictional, and noise vibration, improving the accuracy and stability of mechanical systems [1], [2], [3].
Mn-Cu alloy refers to a high-damping, binary or multicomponent alloy with Mn and Cu as the main components in the alloy matrix, and has been extensively investigated. Its most significant quality is facilitating a balance between the mechanical properties and damping performance [4], [5], [6]. Although a higher Mn concentration in the alloy improves the damping performance, a decline is evident in the mechanical properties, while processability is poor. Therefore, other metallic elements, such as Ni, Fe, and Al, are introduced into the Mn-Cu binary alloy matrix to improve its damping performance, strength, and resilience, as well as its operability in hot and cold conditions. Substantial progress has been made in improving the compressive performance of the Mn-Cu alloy, allowing for the successful development and application of a series of alloys displaying excellent mechanical and damping properties [7], [8], [9], [10].
Although many studies exist regarding the mechanical and damping properties of the Mn-Cu alloy, exceedingly little is known about its frictional characteristics. However, friction-induced vibration and noise is a significant challenge when two surfaces rub against each other. Ibrahim investigated the mechanisms and dynamics of friction-induced vibration and noise [11], [12]. More recently, Wang et al. examined the effect of surface topography on the tribological behavior of the Mn-Cu alloy [13]. Introducing a grooved pattern on the surface decreased the pressure concentration and wear level of the sample, reducing the noise. Wang et al. subsequently investigated the stick-slip oscillation behavior of the Mn-Cu alloy under various loads and sliding speeds using a pad-on-disc configuration [14], revealing that wear debris produced during the rubbing process reduced the stick-slip oscillation.
As the compressive performance of Mn-Cu alloys continues to improve by adapting their elementary compositions and manufacturing processes, they exhibit substantial potential for extended application. The alloys can be processed into mechanical parts of various shapes and sizes, such as bolts, wires, and springs, due to their excellent thermal deformation capabilities [15]. Gaskets, and screws made from the Mn-Cu alloy were applied in recorders, significantly improving the sound quality [16]. They were also applied in machine processing equipment to reduce noise and improve product quality [16].
Since friction and wear represent the most common forms of mechanical component failure, it is necessary to evaluate the tribological behavior of Mn-Cu alloys. However, most related studies focused on the mechanical properties and damping performance of these alloys. Insufficient understanding of the tribological properties of Mn-Cu alloys makes it impossible to comprehensively evaluate their performance. To narrow this gap, this study investigates the tribological behavior and wear mechanism of Mn-23Cu-6Ni alloy under polyalphaolefin (PAO) lubrication. Nanomaterials are widely applied as additives [17], [18], [19], [20], [21] to improve lubricity. This paper examines the impact of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), as an additive in the base lubricant, on the tribological behavior. PAO and MoS2 were selected since they are among the most widely applied base lubricants and lubricant additives. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of PAO lubrication on the tribological behavior of Mn-23%Cu-6%Ni alloy.
Section snippets
Experimental
The specific Mn-23Cu-6Ni alloy used in this study was produced using a sintering method, and was provided by the Hebei University of Technology, China [22]. The alloy had an elementary composition consisting of Mn (71%), Cu (23%), and Ni (6%). The Mn-23Cu-6Ni alloy was processed into experimental samples with dimensions of 50 mm × 50 mm × 4 mm using a wire cutter, while the tribological experiments were carried out using a ball-on-disk configuration, which is schematically presented in Fig. 1.
Examination of MoS2
The MoS2 particles were characterized using SEM and Raman spectroscopy, and the results are presented in Fig. 2. Fig. 2(a) shows that the MoS2 particles were below 2 µm in size. According to the Raman spectra shown in Fig. 2(b), two featured vibrational modes were identified for MoS2 [23], E12g376 cm−1, and A1g 402 cm−1.
The impact of PAO types on the tribological properties
The coefficient of friction (COF) of the alloy-steel contact during the sliding process in dry conditions, as well as the PAO lubrication, is presented in Fig. 3. In dry
Conclusions
The experimental results show that the friction and wear of the Mn-23Cu-6Ni alloy-steel contact are distinctly evident in dry conditions. Application of PAO lubricants contributes to reach a steady state with low COF values after an obvious running-in process. To further improve the lubricity, the MoS2 nanosheets are suspended in the PAO, increasing the friction reduction and anti-wear performance. More importantly, the running-in process is significantly suppressed, and the sliding contact
CRediT authorship contribution statement
Wenlong Wang: Conceptualization, writing - review & editing, Revision. Qingjian Liu: Writing - original draft, funding acquisition, Revision. Daquan Li: Methodology, Investigation. Lei Jin: Investigation. Huaping Xiao: Conceptualization, Writing - original draft, writing - review & editing.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Dr. Fuxin Yin from the School of Materials Science & Engineering, and the Tianjin Key Laboratory of Materials Laminating Fabrication and Interface Control Technology, Hebei University of Technology for providing the Mu-Cu alloy samples. This study was funded by the Project of Tianjin Science and Technology, China (No. 20YDTPJC01730) and the Project of China National Offshore Oil Corporation, China (No. ZX2020ZCGDF5383).
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