Effect of Carbon Content on Wear Behavior of Ni-Co-Cr-Mo-Cu Alloy

In this study, ball-on-disk dry sliding wear behavior of Ni-Co-Cr-Mo-Cu alloys with carbon contents of 0.2, 1, 1.5, 2 wt.% with Al 2 O 3 ball as a counterpart was investigated systematically. Alloys containing 0.2 and 1 wt.% carbon exhibit dispersed carbides, serving as matrix strengthener, while higher alloying of carbon (1.5, 2 wt.%) will induce the aggregation of carbides, acting as load bearer. Therefore, with increasing carbon content, the propensity of plastic deformation and oxidative lubrication is reduced, the roughness of worn surface is decreasing, and the wear mechanism is also altered from adhesive wear to fatigue wear. Significant reduction of wear rate by alloying high carbon content demonstrated the feasibility of carbides-reinforced Ni-Co-Cr-Mo-Cu alloys.