Enhanced dry and current-carrying friction properties of cold-sprayed Ti₂AlC reinforced CuCrZr coating

This study developed CuCrZr-Ti₂AlC composite coatings via cold spraying to enhance the performance of copper alloy guide rails. The cold spray process was specifically selected to prevent the oxidation and decomposition of the MAX phase Ti₂AlC. Composite powders with different Ti₂AlC contents were prepared by mechanical alloying. The results indicate that the coating with 20 wt .%Ti₂AlC achieves an optimal balance of a hardness of 173.40 HV_0.5 and high electrical conductivity (6.62 μΩ·cm). Its specific wear rate under dry sliding was 1.30 × 10^–4 mm³/(N·m), which is 86.4 % lower than that of the pure CuCrZr coating (9.59 × 10^–4 mm³/(N·m)). Furthermore, under current loading, the wear rate of the 20 wt .%Ti₂AlC coating (1.63 × 10^–4 mm³/(N·m)) was significantly lower than that of the 30 wt .%Ti₂AlC coating (3.51 × 10^–4 mm³/(N·m)). The CuCrZr-20 wt .%Ti₂AlC composite coating is thus a promising material for applications requiring simultaneous wear resistance and conductivity.