Suppression of current-carrying friction damage behavior of 6063Al matrix composites by high-temperature strengthening

Aluminum alloy materials are widely used in the field of current-carrying friction, and the advantages and disadvantages of their current-carrying characteristics and wear resistance directly affect the operating efficiency and service life of the current-carrying friction vice. In this paper, 6063Al matrix composites were prepared by discharge plasma sintering (SPS) method with particles (TiB 2P ) and fibers (C f ) as reinforcing phase. The carrier tribological behaviors of the composites, such as dynamic coefficient of friction and mean value, wear rate, and surface topography after wear, were investigated. The results showed that the reinforcing phases in the 6063Al matrix composites were uniformly distributed and the relative densities were all above 98%. Among them, the (TiB 2P –C f )/6063Al composites have the most stable carrier friction coefficients and the smallest average friction coefficients, which are 16.41% lower than that of the 6063Al matrix, and the roughness of the wear surface of the composites is reduced by 14.94% compared with that of the matrix under the effect of the TiB 2P –C f , and the main wear mechanism is changed from abrasive wear and adhesive wear of the 6063Al matrix to electrical wear and abrasive wear. The high-temperature mechanical properties of the (TiB 2P –C f )/6063Al composites were greatly improved compared with those of the 6063Al matrix by dislocation strengthening and grain refinement, and the hardness (50.64 HV) was still high at 300 °C. The improved high-temperature mechanical properties enhance the ability of the material to resist plastic deformation, which in turn improves the current-carrying tribological properties of (TiB 2P –C f )/6063Al composites.