Mechanical and tribological properties of a novel aluminum bronze material for drawing dies

A new aluminum bronze material with aluminum content over the solubility limit and several trace elements, Cu–14Al–X alloy (X is trace elements), has been developed for drawing dies. The mechanical properties such as hardness, tensile strength and impact toughness were evaluated experimentally. The friction and wear behavior of the material was investigated under boundary lubrication conditions. The experimental results demonstrated that the developed alloy possessed higher tensile strength and hardness, lower friction coefficient and wear rate, compared to currently used aluminum bronzes, therefore it is expected to replace conventional iron-based materials that are commonly used for drawing dies. With the excellent anti-friction property and high carrying capacity, the new material, Cu–14Al–X alloy, will be able to provide precision drawing dies.