Study of the mechanical behavior of leaded copper by scratch test and nanoindentation

Abstract

Copper-lead was investigated by scratch tests under two set of experiments conditions: at progressive loads (0 – 200 N) and at two different constant loads (20 – 30 N). These tests were made to assess the adhesion properties to determine the critical normal load of copper- lead journal bearings material. The morphologies of material after scratches are synthesized by optical microscope. Nanoindentation studies of copper-lead provide the possibility of examining a variety of mechanical events due to porosity and pre-existing defects in material. The resulting data are analyzed in terms of load–displacement curves and various comparative parameters, such as hardness and Young’s modulus.