THE EFFECTS OF COPPER PARTICLES AND OLEIC-ACID ON THE FRICTION AND WEAR CHARACTERISTICS OF CERAMICS IN ETHANOL

For the combinations of a Si3N4 pin and four kinds of ceramic disk (Si C, Si3N4, Al2O3, ZrO2), a friction and wear test was carried out in th ree kinds of lubricants (temperature: 20.0+/-1.0 degrees C) [ethanol, ethanol + copper particles (1 wt.%; average diameter d=236 nm), and et hanol + copper particles + oleic acid (1 vol.%)] in order to find the lubricity of the copper particles and oleic acid. A topographical anal ysis was also performed on the micro-asperities of the wear surfaces t o estimate the behavior of the copper particles and oleic acid, and th e degree of surface damage. As a result, the following facts were foun d: 1. The addition of copper particles in ethanol decreased the wear r ates of the mated ceramics. The lubricity of the additives and the wea r rates could be estimated to some extent by analysis of the surface t opographies. 2. The addition of copper particles and oleic acid in eth anol caused the wear rates of both ceramics to decrease considerably m ore than that of copper particles only. But the mean coefficient of fr iction for the both additives was greater than that for no additives.