Tribological behavior of carbon fiber reinforced ZrB2 based ultra high temperature ceramics

The tribological behavior of ultra-high temperature ceramic matrix composites (UHTCMCs) was investigated to understand these materials in friction applications. Samples consisting of pitch-based randomly orientated chopped carbon fiber (CF) reinforced ZrB₂-10 vol% SiC were prepared (ZS). The tribological behavior was tested on a self-designed dynamometer, coupling the UHTCMC pads with either carbon fiber reinforced carbon−silicon carbide (C/C-SiC) or steel disks, with two applied contact pressures (1 and 3 MPa) and the surface microstructures were analyzed to unravel the wear mechanisms. Even at high mechanical stresses, tests against the C/C-SiC disk showed stable braking performance and wear. The abraded material from a steel disk formed a stable friction film by fusing together harder pad particles with abraded steel, which reduced wear and stabilized the braking performance. The high values of coefficient of friction obtained (0.5–0.7), their stability during the braking and the acceptable wear rate make these materials appealing for automotive brake applications.     

Microstructure of friction surface developed on carbon fibre reinforced carbon–silicon carbide (Cf/C–SiC)

We have used TEM to study the microstructure of friction surface of carbon fibre/carbon–silicon carbide composites brake discs after multi braking stop by using organic pads. A friction surface layer was developed consistently on the top of Si regions of the composites, but inconsistently on that of SiC and C. Inside the layer, amorphous silicon/silicon oxides appeared extensively with various non-metallic and metallic crystallites dispersed inside with sizes ranging from a few nanometers to several microns. A coherent interface between the friction layer and the composite surface was established under the braking conditions, whilst its sustainability varied notably in SiC and C regions. Microcracking near the friction surface appeared in SiC and C_f/C regions largely due to the extensive ductile deformation of SiC and weak interfaces between C and C_f. Material joining mechanisms were discussed to enlighten the friction transfer layer development on the surface of the composite discs.     

Effect of Braking Speed on Friction and Wear Behaviors of C/C-SiC Composites

Carbon fiber-reinforced silicon carbide matrix composites (C/C-SiC) have received considerable attentions because of their superior friction and wear behaviors. In this paper, C/C-SiC composites were fabricated by the reaction melt infiltration method, and the braking performance, the microstructure of friction surface, and wear debris at different braking speeds were also investigated. The mean coefficient of friction increases to the maximum value of 0.52 at 10 m/s and then declines afterwards with an increase in the braking speed. The higher coefficient of friction at low braking speed indicates the excellent braking performance of the C/C-SiC composites for low braking energy. Excellent wear resistance is demonstrated by the low wear rate of the C/C-SiC composites in comparison with C/C composites.     

Microstructure and tribological properties of PIP-SiC modified C/C–SiC brake materials

A combination method of precursor infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP), chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) and liquid silicon infiltration (LSI) was proposed to prepare PIP-SiC modified C/C–SiC brake materials. The SiC ceramic matrix pyrolyzed by polymethysilane (PMS) homogeneously dispersed in the fiber bundles region, which improved the plough resistance of local C/C region and the wear resistance of C/C–SiC brake materials. When the braking speed rises to 28 m/s, the fluctuation range of friction coefficient was limited to 0.026. The linear wear rate of the as-prepared composites was could be ~50% less than that of C/C–SiC, when the braking speed was above 15 m/s (for instance, the wear rate of 1.02 μm/(side·cycle) at 28 m/s less than 2.02 μm/(side·cycle) of traditional C/C– SiC). The fading ratio D of CoF under wet conditions was ~11%. The results showed that introducing PIP-SiC could stabilize the braking process and effectively prolong the service life of C/C–SiC brake materials.     

碳/碳化硅复合材料刹车盘/片热应力场分析

采用有限元方法分析二维正交碳纤维增强碳化硅(C/SiC)复合材料制成的汽车刹车盘/片在刹车过程中引起的非线性热力耦合行为,主要研究在强制对流和热辐射作用下刹车结构的温度变化,讨论不同材料属性对刹车温度场的影响以及在温度场和膨胀系数耦合下C/SiC刹车盘/片中热应力和形变情况。数值结果表明:在双重散热条件下需要更多时间用于降温,而垂直于刹车面的热导率分量对温度传导或者降温影响较大;对于C/SiC刹车盘/片每一次刹车行为等效于一次热应力的加载和卸载,而每次产生的热应力可能突破C/SiC的极限弹性强度引起的残余塑性形变,而这种不断累积的残余效果继而引起C/SiC刹车盘/片失效。     

碳/碳化硅摩阻复合材料的研究进展

碳/碳化硅是近年来发展起来的一种新型高性能陶瓷基摩阻材料,具有密度低,抗氧化性好,摩擦性能高且性能稳定等一系列优点,在高速列车、飞机和重型汽车等高能载制动领域具有广泛的应用前景.反应性熔体浸渗法是制备碳/碳化硅摩阻复合材料的有效途径.从碳/碳化硅摩阻复合材料的设计出发,深入分析了反应性熔体渗透过程的热力学条件,Si-C反应体系的基本特征以及动力学规律.针对短纤维模压和三维针刺等两种典型C/SiC复合材料的制备过程,对材料的微结构特征和摩擦磨损性能进行了系统论述.同时,对红外热成像、X射线透射和工业CT等先进工程检测方法在碳/碳化硅摩阻复合材料构件上的应用进行了分析.     

Tribological behavior and wear mechanism of C/C–SiC brake discs based on third-body layer

C/C–SiC composites are promising candidates for heavy-duty tracked vehicle brake discs. A third-body layer (TBL) can be formed on the surface of C/C–SiC self-mated brake discs, which has an important impact on tribological behavior and wear mechanism of brake discs. Herein, the formation conditions and evolution process of TBL and its effect on friction and wear properties were investigated. An appropriate braking pressure and speed (P and V) are beneficial to the cutting of asperities and refinement of wear debris on the contact surface, which are preconditions for the formation of original TBL. The original TBL can be formed under the P·V of 12, 15, and 16, which effectively improve braking stability and reduce the wear rate. During the continuous braking process, the original TBL undergoes growth, stabilization, destruction, and regeneration. Under the frictional heat and compressive stress, wear debris gradually evolves into a uniform and dense TBL. The average coefficient of friction and wear rate reach to the lowest value of .446 and 38.5 × 10⁻³ cm³/MJ, respectively. A continuous high temperature in the later stages of braking leads to severe oxidative wear. The newly formed TBL covers the original surface to form a multilayered structure, indicating the TBL undergoes destruction and regeneration.     

Low-cost preparation and frictional behaviour of a three-dimensional needled carbon/silicon carbide composite

A low-cost carbon/silicon carbide (C/SiC) composite was manufactured by phenolic resin impregnation–pyrolysis combined with liquid silicon infiltration. The carbon fiber preform was prepared by three-dimensional needling. A carbon/carbon composite with a density of 1.22 g/cm³ after only one impregnation–pyrolysis cycle was achieved by using hot-pressing curing. The density of the final C/SiC was 2.10 g/cm³ with a porosity of 4.50% and SiC-content of 45.73%. The C/SiC composite had a high thermal conductivity of 48.72 W/(m K) perpendicular to the friction surface and demonstrated good friction and wear properties. The static and average dynamic friction coefficients were 0.68 and 0.32 (at a braking velocity of 28 m/s). The weight wear rates of the rotating disk and stationary disk were respectively 7.71 and 5.60 mg/cycle with linear wear rates, 1.67 and 1.22 μm/cycle, at a braking velocity of 28 m/s.     

Development and tribological studies of a novel metal-ceramic hybrid brake disc

Ceramic matrix composite (CMC) friction materials show promising tribological properties. Typically, carbon ceramic brake discs consist of a C/SiC rotor which is joined to a brake disc bell. Within this work, a novel metal-ceramic hybrid brake disc, consisting of C/SiC friction segments which are mounted by screws onto an aluminum carrier body, was designed and investigated. A prototype was built which was tribologically tested with three different brake pad materials, LowMet reference, modified SF C/SiC as well as C/C. A constant starting sliding velocity of 20 m/s and braking pressures of 1, 2, and 3 MPa were investigated. To simulate emergency braking conditions 10 consecutive brake applications were carried out in close succession for each brake pad material and braking pressure. The C/C brake pad material showed the highest average coefficient of friction followed by the LowMet and C/SiC material. However, the wear rates of the C/C and LowMet material were orders of magnitude higher compared to the C/SiC material.     

Oxidation behaviour of C/C–SiC brake discs tested on full-scale bench rig

C/C–SiC composites are considered to be strong candidates for the new generation of high-speed train brake discs. To achieve a better application, it is necessary to improve understanding of the oxidation behaviour of C/C–SiC brake discs after a full-scale bench test rig. In this study, full-scale braking bench tests for C/C–SiC self-mated brake pairs were conducted under a braking speed of 350–420 km/h and a braking pressure of 17–28 kN. Moreover, the oxidation behaviour and mechanisms of the C/C–SiC brake discs during the practical braking process were investigated. The results indicate that the oxidation behaviour is highly dependent on the friction surface region of the C/C–SiC brake disc owing to the distribution of microcracks, the formation of friction films, the difference in temperature, and the contact content with O₂. Specifically, the oxidation depths of the friction layer on the inner circumferential surface, middle friction surface, and outer circumferential surface were 278.3, 252.1, and 359.9 μm, respectively. Furthermore, the oxidation reaction preferentially occurs in the active area of the C fibre and pyrolytic carbon (PyC) during the braking process.     

High-Load Friction Behavior of a Hinge Bearing Based on a Carbon/Silicon Carbide Composite

Two-dimensional carbon fiber-reinforced silicon carbide matrix (C/SiC) composites used for hinge bearing were prepared by chemical vapor infiltration. The testing and results of unlubricated friction behavior of hinge bearing under high-load transmitting motion was investigated. The effects of load on friction behavior between different sliding couple were analyzed. Finally, worn surfaces and debris were observed by scanning electron microscopy to study the wear mechanism. A constant friction coefficient between self-mated C/SiC composites of 0.68 was obtained on increasing load up to about 5800 N. Excellent wear resistance and load-carrying ability was demonstrated by low wear and especially small deformation.     

Flexural strength and wear resistance of C/C–SiC brake materials improved by introducing SiC ceramics into carbon fiber bundles

In this work, we adopted PIP technology to introduce SiC ceramics into the carbon fiber bundles of C/C–SiC composites. The obtained C/C–SiC composites containing PIP-SiC exhibited improved flexural strength. Meanwhile, the strength difference was reduced in in-plane and vertical directions. Fracture morphology revealed that the introduction of SiC into the fiber bundles broadened available toughening mechanism of the prepared composites. The braking performance of the materials was tested on an MM-1000 dynamometer. After braking at different speeds, we analyzed wear rates, variations in friction coefficient, and the morphological evolution of the friction surface. The results indicated that the introduction of SiC into the fiber bundles enhanced the abrasive resistance of local C/C regions, which yielded a significant reduction of the wear rates.     

Friction and wear properties of C/C–SiC braking composites

Two series of C/C–SiC composites were fabricated via precursor infiltration pyrolysis (PIP) and chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) using porous C/C composites with different original densities as preforms, respectively. The tribological characteristics of C/C–SiC braking composites were investigated by means of MM-1000 type of friction testing machine. The friction and wear behaviors of the two series of composites were compared and the factors that influence the friction and wear properties of C/C–SiC composites were discussed. Results show that the friction and wear properties relate close-knit to the content of SiC and porosity. As the original preform density increasing, the content of SiC and porosity decrease, and then the friction coefficient increases obviously, the braking time and the wear rate both decrease. Preparation techniques play an important role in the tribological properties of C/C–SiC composites. Compared with PIP process, the samples from CVI have a little higher friction coefficient, shorter braking time and higher wear rate.     

Tribological behavior and applications of carbon fiber reinforced ceramic composites as high-performance frictional materials

Due to the favorable tribological, mechanical, chemical, and thermal properties, carbon fiber reinforced ceramic composites, especially carbon fiber reinforced carbon and silicon carbide dual matrix composites (C/C–SiC), has been considered as high-performance frictional materials. In this paper, current applications and recent progress on tribological behavior of C/C–SiC composites are reviewed. The factors affecting the friction and wear properties, including the content of silicon carbide and carbon matrix, carbon fiber preform architecture, as well as the matrix modification by alloy additives and C/C–SiC composites under various test conditions are reviewed. Furthermore, based on the current status of researches, prospect of several technically available solutions for low-cost manufacturing C/C–SiC composites is also proposed.     

Anisotropic tribological behavior of LSI based 2.5D needle-punched carbon fiber reinforced Cf/C–SiC composites

C_f/C–SiC composites were fabricated via liquid silicon infiltration with 2.5D needle-punched carbon fiber reinforced C_f/C composites. The effect of surface topography and carbon content of the C_f/C–SiC composites on the tribological properties was researched by the ball-on-disk reciprocating tribometer. The results indicate that different fiber layers and cross-section of the composites have various surface topography and show significant differences in the friction and wear properties. By the wear morphology and model analyses, the reason for the tribological anisotropy of the composites is that the distribution of carbon and SiC phases in the composites are inhomogeneous caused by the difference of the carbon fiber orientation and the relative content in each layer. Moreover, the wear rate of the short-cut fiber web layer was the lowest and there is an obvious linear decrease in coefficient of friction with increase of carbon content. The present work explains why the tribological properties of the composites are inconsistent and provides a way to adjust the friction properties of composite materials by optimizing the friction surface.     

Preparation and Dynamometer Tests of 3D Needle‐Punched C/C‐SiC Composites for High‐Speed and Heavy‐Duty Brake Systems

Three‐dimensional (3D) needle‐punched C/C‐SiC brake composites were fabricated by chemical vapor infiltration combined with liquid silicon infiltration. The microstructures, properties, and dynamometer tests for different high‐speed and heavy‐duty brake systems had been investigated. The results indicated that the value of flexural strength and compressive strength can reach 182 Mpa and 234 MPa, respectively. Their thermal conductivity remained between 15–21 W/m/K between room temperature and 1100°C. The dynamometer test of 3D needle‐punched C/C‐SiC brake disk and pads for high‐speed trains, according to the procedure of International Union of Railways, showed that the coefficient of friction (μ) was about 0.32 and not sensitive to the brake speeds. After four times of emergency stops, the linear wear rate of the C/C‐SiC pads was 0.481 cm³/MJ. The C/C‐SiC brake pairs of vehicle were tested with inertia dynamometer according to SAE's J2522 testing procedure, and the characteristic values of the C/C‐SiC brakes indicated that the hot fade was almost 0. The C/C‐SiC pads were matched with C45 steel disk and tested for engineering machineries brake system, and the wear rate of C/C‐SiC pads was 4.2 μm/cycle and less than one‐sixth of that of the traditional powder metallurgy brake pad. The 3D needle‐punched C/C‐SiC brake composites have been demonstrated to be the top choice for advanced friction materials of high‐speed and heavy‐duty brake systems.     

Braking behaviours of C/C–SiC mated with iron/copper-based PM in dry,wet and salt fog conditions

C/C–SiC composites have enormous potential as a new generation of brake materials. It is worth studying the friction and wear behaviours of these materials in special environments to ensure the safe and effective braking of trains in practical applications. In this study, the braking behaviours and wear mechanisms of C/C–SiC mating with iron/copper-based PM in dry, wet and salt fog conditions are compared in detail. The results show that the coefficient of friction (COF) in the wet condition is reduced by 14.13% compared with that under the dry condition. The COF value of the first braking under salt fog condition is increased by 12.27% and 30.75% compared to the dry and wet conditions, respectively. Additionally, the tail warping phenomenon of the braking curve disappears in wet condition, which is attributed to the weak adhesion of friction interfaces and the lubrication of the water film. The main wear mechanisms of C/C–SiC mating with iron/copper-based PM under dry condition are adhesive, fatigue and oxidation wear. However, the dominant wear in wet condition is abrasive wear. The cooling and lubrication of water reduce the tendency of thermal stress, and weaken adhesive and fatigue wear. Furthermore, salt fog can accelerate the corrosion of alloy friction film, leading to the damage of friction film. Meanwhile, the third body particles formed in salt fog condition participate in the braking process. The wear mechanisms in salt fog condition are dominated by abrasive and delamination wear.     

CF/SiC增强摩阻材料性能研究

采用模压法制备了碳纤维(CF)/碳化硅(SiC)增强摩阻材料,通过摩擦试验研究了CF和SiC质量分数及CF长度对材料摩擦磨损特性的影响。结果表明:随着SiC质量分数的增加,摩擦系数和磨损率都有明显提高,这是由于硬质颗粒的犁沟作用;当CF质量分数<10%时,CF质量分数和长度对摩擦磨损性能影响明显,这归因于CF本身具有良好的自润滑性能以及抗犁削作用。     

Friction surface evolution of carbon fibre reinforced carbon/silicon carbide (Cf/C-SiC) composites

A study is reported on the development of friction surface of carbon fibre reinforced ceramic composites through microstructural image registration of the surface after a range of braking stops on a laboratory-scale dynamometer test rig. It has been found that a steady friction transfer layer is developed in silicon regions; in carbon fibre/carbon and most silicon carbide regions, the friction surface is unsteady and any possible friction transfer layer is hardly built up with satisfactory longevity. Large voids and cracks/crevices are likely to be filled with transferred materials, but these compacts are susceptible to be stripped off by further braking operation. From this study, three types of friction surfaces are identified and could exist in bedding stage. Under the current testing configuration and regime, coefficient of friction increases with accumulated braking stops, and no stable friction yet appeared. The development of friction surface and its impact on the friction measurements are discussed.     

Simultaneous enhancement of friction and wear resistance for high-speed braking system with Cr3C2-NiCr-coated brake disk

The current steel brake disk and Cu-based powder metallurgy brake pad used in high-speed trains suffer fading coefficient of friction (COF) and excessive wear, resulting in a shorten lifetime and numerous exhausted brake disks. High-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) spray-prepared coatings have proven their ability to improve COF and decrease wear rate. In this article, Cr₃C₂-NiCr coating was sprayed on a steel brake disk, and a series of emergency braking tests under dry and wet conditions were performed on a subscale brake dynamometer, to comprehensively evaluate the braking performance of coated brake disk. The results showed that the coated brake disk exhibits a higher COF at 380 km/h, which effectively inhibits the COF fade compared to the steel brake disk case. The coated brake system also achieves a lower wear rate of the brake pad at 380 km/h, showing the desired high COF and low wear rate properties of the braking system. Additionally, the coated brake disk maintained surface integrity even after severe braking tests, highlighting its potential in the braking system. Based on the characterizations of wear debris and brake pads, a harder and thinner oxide friction film plays a crucial role in achieving the excellent braking performance in coated brake disk cases.