Effects of Different Rare Earth Oxides on the Physical, Friction and Wear Properties of ZrC-Cu Composites

In this paper, ZrC-Cu composites were prepared by powder metallurgy. The biphase reinforced Cu matrix composites were prepared by introducing rare earth oxides as the second-phase reinforced particles. The effects of rare earth elements on microstructure, electrical conductivity, mechanical properties and friction and wear properties of Cu and ZrC-Cu composites were studied by comparative analysis. The results show that the density of ZrC-Cu composites controlled by Eu₂O₃/Y₂O₃/La₂O₃ is > 96%. The friction coefficient is also reduced to about 0.2. Among them, ZrC-Eu₂O₃-Cu composite has the best comprehensive performance. Compared with pure Cu, the conductivity of ZrC-Eu₂O₃-Cu composite is reduced by 9.5%, and the compressive yield strength is increased by 240%. This shows that Eu₂O is more significant in improving the wettability between the interfaces of ZrC-Cu composites.