Friction and wear performance of carbon/carbon composites by CLVI process under wet conditions

Friction and wear performance of carbon/carbon (C/C) composites prepared by chemical liquid-vapor infiltration (CLVI) was investigated by an inertia friction tester machine under high humidity condition. Results show that the microstructure of C/C composites mainly consisted of rough laminar pyrocarbon. With increasing heat treatment temperature the graphitization degree of the samples increased, the braking process became flat, the dynamic and static friction coefficients, and friction stability increased. Meanwhile, the shape of friction torque became symmetrical under higher rotate speed and braking pressure. The smooth and dense lubricating film was formed on the surface of the sample with high graphitization degree, which resulted in the decreasement of the wear rate. C/C composites by CLVI process can fairly meet the demand for the performance of wet friction materials, and the manufacture cost is low in comparison with traditional chemical vapor infiltration for C/C composites.