Wear mechanism in graphite-copper electrical sliding contact

The electrical conduction tensor of highly anisotropic graphite is not comp atible with the mechanical and tribological tensors that leads to low frict ion and low mechanical wear rate in sliding electrical contact. This incomp atibility increases the electrical resistance and increases thus the therma l effect and the electrical contact wear. The aim of this paper is to prese nt the tribological behaviour of couple and to discuss the effect of the an tagonistic mechanical/electrical properties of polycrystalline graphite in thin rubbed layers during sliding electrical tests. (C) 1999 Elsevier Scien ce S.A. All rights reserved.