EFFECTS OF Al₂O₃ PARTICLE SIZE AND CONTENT ON PROPERTIES OF α-Al₂O₃/Cu COMPOSITE COATING

The properties and wear characteristic of Al₂O₃ particles reinforced copper composite by electrodeposit have been investigated, and their hardness and wearability were tested in the range of 0.5 to 5.0μm particles size and 4 to 16vol% content. The results show that the coating hardness increases linearly with Al₂O₃ content, and the coating with large Al₂O₃ particles is slightly harder than the one with smaller particles. The content and the size of Al₂O₃ particles have great effects on the wearability and wear mechanism of the composites.