Current-carrying tribological behavior of C/Cu contact pairs in extreme temperature and humidity environments for railway catenary systems

Many current-carrying contact pairs, such as those found in pantograph-catenary systems, operate in open environments and are susceptible to significant external interference from temperature and humidity variations. This study investigated the evolution of the friction coefficient and contact resistance of C/Cu contact pairs under alternating temperature, humidity, and current conditions. Through experimentation, the wear rate and microtopography of the worn surface were analyzed under various constant parameters. Subsequently, the differences in tribological behavior and current-carrying characteristics of the contact pairs under these three parameters were explored. The results revealed that the decrease in temperature resulted in a significant increase in the friction coefficient of the contact pairs, carbon wear, and copper surface roughness. Additionally, the surface oxidation rate was lower at lower temperatures. Moreover, contact resistance did not consistently increase with decreasing temperature, owing to the combined action of the contact area and the oxide film. Compared with temperature, humidity fluctuations at room temperature exerted less influence on the friction coefficient and contact resistance of the contact pairs. Dry environments rendered carbon materials vulnerable to oxidation and cracking, while excessive humidity fostered abrasive wear and arcing. High-current conditions generally degraded the tribological properties of C/Cu contacts. In the absence of current, the friction coefficient was extremely high, and the copper transfer was high. Under excessive current, copper was susceptible to plowing by carbon micro-bumps and abrasive particles, resulting in a decrease in the friction coefficient. The release of lipids from the carbon surface due to temperature elevation weakened the electrical contact performance and increased the occurrence of arc erosion, thereby exacerbating carbon wear.