TRIBOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF OIL-RETAINING POROUS SILICON-CARBIDE

The friction and wear properties of oil-retaining porous silicon carbi de and dense silicon carbide in air were studied by using a pin-on-dis k friction machine. The tribological properties and morphologies of th e worn surfaces of these ceramics were greatly changed depending on th e test conditions such as loads applied and the combinations of materi als (pin/disk). Dense SiC pin showed a lower and more stable friction coefficient and less wear than those of self-mated dense SiC, when it was slid against the oil-retaining porous SiC disk. The friction and w ear mechanisms of these ceramics were discussed from the tribological properties obtained and the morphologies of the worn surfaces by SEM, and three-dimensional surface roughness observation.