Tribological Properties of High Temperature Oxidation Film on Bearing Steel Sliding Against Copper -Graphite

Copper-graphite (Cu/C) materials are used as stationary ring in the mechanical contacted seals of liquid rocket turbo pumps due to their advantages including high thermal conductivity, excellent anti-corrosion and lubrication behaviors. However, the Cu/C stationary ring is subjected to severe wear at startup stage under the real working condition. To solve the problem, this study puts forward a method to modify the surface of the mating pair by high temperature oxidation films. The oxidation films were prepared under different temperatures and the tribological tests were conducted to verify the lubrication effect of the films. Furthermore, the influence of applied load and surface roughness on the tribological behaviors was investigated. In general, the oxidation film played a major role in improving tribological behavior between bearing steel and Cu/C under water lubrication condition.