Analysis of tribological behavior of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) CuCrZr alloy through reciprocating loading on the columnar structure

The objective of this research is to assess the degree of wear on the pin across different pitch distances. The Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) process was utilized to manufacture the CuCrZr alloy, and the microstructural examination revealed both columnar and equiaxed structures in the specimen. A study was conducted on the nanowear occurring in the columnar structure at pitch values of 3 µm (deformed-region), 10 µm (plastic-region), and 20 µm (undeformed-region), while applying a force of 1000µN. The wear depths at these pitch values were 2700 nm, 2300 nm, and 2150 nm, respectively. The ploughing wear mechanism occurred consistently across all three pitch values. The wear rates at the 3 µm, 10 µm, and 20 µm pitch were found to be 1.103 × 10^-4, 0.920 × 10^-4, and 0.85 × 10^-4 mm³N^-1m^-1, respectively.