Tribological Behavior of Copper/MWCNT Nanocomposites Produced by Pulse Electrodeposition

Copper coatings containing well-distributed multiwalled carbon nanotubes were obtained by pulse electrodeposition in acidic sulfate bath in order to improve the microhardness and wear resistance of coatings. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes concentration was determined as the most significant factor for the incorporation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes in copper based electrolyte. The amount of embedded multiwalled carbon nanotubes and the microhardness of nanocomposites were found to increase with the increase of multiwalled carbon nanotubes in the electrolyte. The tribological properties of nanocomposites deposited by pulse electrocodeposition technique were studied by reciprocating ball on-disk method. The characterization of the coatings was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction facilities. The experimental results indicated that the wear resistance of copper composite is superior to that of pure copper. The friction coefficient and wear rates decreased with the increase in the concentration of multiwalled carbon nanotubes in the electrolyte.