Effect of the additive VC on tribological properties of WC-Al2O3 composites

To investigate the impact of vanadium carbide on the tribological properties of WC-Al2O3 composites, non-lubrication reciprocating ball-on-flat sliding wear experiments were conducted against two different balls of YG6 and Si3N4 with a load of 80 N and a sliding speed of 0.1 m/s. The friction coefficient evolution and the values, the cross-sectional morphology of the wear tracks, and the wear rates were obtained. A significant improvement on the friction and wear behavior was found with the addition of inhibitor. The examination of worn surface from field emission scanning electron microscope revealed the wear mechanisms, which examined the effect of inhibitor for improving the tribological behaviors.