MECHANICS OF FRICTION IN SELF-LUBRICATING COMPOSITE-MATERIALS .1. MECHANICS OF 2ND-PHASE DEFORMATION AND MOTION

This paper is devoted to the analysis of plastic deformation of self-lubricating composite materials that contain soft second-phase particles and are subjected to sliding friction. Slip-line field analysis of plastic deformation is used to analyze the processes of deformation and flow of the soft phase toward the sliding surface. As a result of this analysis, a general relationship for the deformation and flow of the soft phase is obtained. It is shown that the properties of both the hard matrix and the soft second-phase particles, as well as the shape and size of the particles, control the processes of deformation and flow of the soft phase. The results may be used to optimize the microstructure of self-lubricating composites to obtain the best tribological performance.