[T2] Compaction & Sintering

[14A-T2-09] Improvement of the Tribological Properties of Iron-Based Self-Lubricating Composites by Modification of the Sintering Atmosphere

G. Araujo de Lima², J. Zimmermann de Assunção³, A. N. Klein³, *K. P. Furlan¹ (1.Hamburg University of Technology, Germany, 2.Università degli Studi di Parma, Italy, 3.Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil)

Keywords:self-lubricating composites, sintering, solid-state reaction

In this work, powder compaction and solid state sintering are employed to fabricate iron-based self-lubricating composites containing MoS2 and graphite. Previous studies have shown that MoS2 reacts with iron matrices during sintering, making the production of Fe-MoS2 composites challenging. We hereby demonstrate that a modification in the sintering atmosphere improves the composites' tribological properties due to a sinergic effect of retardation of the solid state reaction and increase of the matrix microhardness related to the nitrogen intake. The composites sintered in a mixed Ar/H2/N2 atmosphere exhibited, on average, a lower dry coefficient of friction compared to those sintered in Ar/H2.