Study on the characteristics of wear resistance using silicate particles as additive on the metal friction pairs

Tribological properties of silicate particles as 50CC additive were evaluated on an end-face friction and wear tester. The morphologies, element distributions and micro-mechanical properties of the worn surface were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and nano indentation tester, respectively. Results indicate that friction reduction and wear resistance properties of 50CC are improved effectively by adding silicate particles, whose main composition is Mg ₃[Si₂O₅](OH)₄. The friction coefficient and surface temperature are reduced 60.6% and 35.6%. The nano-hardness of the self-repairing film is increased 30.03%) compared with that of the ordinary film. It can be inferred that a high nano-hardness protective film composed of Mg, Al and O is formed on the worn surface, which has a good effect on the tribological performances.