Tribological behavior and wear mechanism of Cu/CF/phenolic resin sandwich composites under current

The catenary system was an important part of electrified railway, which provided traction power for electric trains. Cu/CF/phenolic resin contact strip (CFRCS) had been designed with excellent mechanical strength and electrical conductivity. The properties of CFRCS and the pure carbon contact strip (PCCS) were also compared. It could be found that CFRCS not only had higher impact strength than PCCS, but also had lower resistivity, which was favorable for current transmission. This paper analyzed the wear behavior of contact strips from two aspects of wear data and abrasive dust, which was mainly determined by the current and its components. The current-carrying wear mechanism of CFRCS was mainly arc erosion wear, oxidation wear and adhesive wear, while that of PCCS was oxidation wear and arc erosion wear.