High-Temperature Response of the Carbon Phase Produced from Fullerenes under Pressure

The properties (indentation hardness, elastic modulus, and elastic recovery) of reinforcing carbon particles obtained from fullerenes by synthesis of metal-matrix composite materials have been studied by high-temperature indentation at temperatures of up to 500°C. The high hardness (>30 GPa) and superelasticity (elastic recovery >80%) of the carbon phase in air are retained at temperatures up to 400°C and abruptly decrease at 500°C. After heating in air to 500°C, the graphitization of the particles is observed not only at the sample surface, but also, to a lesser extent, inside the sample, at a depth of >100 µm. The graphitization decreases friction coefficient of the CM samples from 0.16 to 0.11 and deteriorates their wear resistance.