Influence of Copper Frictional Material Composition on Structure and Tribotechnical Properties

Abstract—The article describes the effect of tin and graphite content in the composition of a copper-based friction material (FM) on the structure, tribological properties, and formation of the contact surface. It is shown that an increase in tin from 6 to 12 wt % leads to an increase in the friction coefficient and a decrease in the running-in time for wear resistance. When the tin content in the friction material is 6 wt %, during friction, plastic flow of the contact surface material occurs with the formation of a “third” layer. The type and content of graphite also significantly affect the tribotechnical properties of the FM: an increase in graphite content of more than 20 vol % increases the friction coefficient; when GK-1 pencil grade graphite is used, the friction coefficient increases to a lesser extent than for GE-1 elemental grade graphite, and the wear resistance increases by 2.5–3.0 times.