As a high-temperature structural material, Ni₃Al matrix composites are often used to manufacture basic mechanical components that need to be used in high-temperature conditions. To meet the increasing demand for metal matrix composites with an excellent tribological performance over a wide temperature range, Ni₃Al matrix self-lubricating composites containing Sn-Ag-Cu and Ti₃SiC₂ (NST) were synthesized via laser-melting deposition. Dry sliding friction tests of NST against Si₃N₄ ball were undertaken from 20 to 800 °C to investigate the tribological behavior and wear-triggered self-healing properties. The results show that the tribological behaviors of NST are strongly dependent on the testing temperature and self-healing properties. At low and moderate temperatures from 20 to 400 °C, as the Sn-Ag-Cu flows into the cracks and is oxidized during sliding friction, while the cracks on the worn surface are filled with oxides consisting mainly of Al₂O₃, SnO₂ and CuO. At higher temperatures of 600 and 800 °C, the cracks are filled by the principal oxides of Al₂O₃, TiO₂ and SiO₂ due to the partial decomposition and oxidation of Ti₃SiC₂. Compared with other testing temperatures, the recovery ratio relative to the Ni₃Al base alloy of the cracks on the worn surface of NST is the highest at 400 °C, which is about 76.4%. The synergistic action mechanisms of Sn-Ag-Cu and Ti₃SiC₂ on the crack self-healing from 20 to 800 °C play a significant role in forming a stable solid lubricating film, improving the anti-friction and wear resistance of NST. The results provide a solution allowing for metal matrix composites to achieve excellent lubrication stability over a wide temperature range by virtue of the crack self-healing properties.

In this paper, the effect of micro-dimple textures (produced by a laser) on the tribological properties of bearings is investigated. This study offers guidelines to reduce the friction torque of the bearing pair and addresses the problem of difficult start-ups after shutdowns. Micro-pits with different texture diameters and depths were machined on the surface of journal bearings. Then, the impact of several different texture parameters on the tribological performance of the bearing pairs was studied using an orthogonal experimental design. Subsequently, the surface morphology of the bearings before and after the friction and wear test was observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS). These observations were then used to determine the type/state of friction and wear, which also improves our understanding of how texture affects the service life of bearings. The results indicate that the bearings’ micro-pit surface hardness follows an approximate parabolic spatial distribution that decreases along the micro-pit wall. Furthermore, the laser processing of surface textures was found to cause hardening in certain areas, and the chemical composition of elemental carbon and oxygen at the inner surface of processed bearings increased by 31.1% and 7.9%, respectively. Moreover, abrasive wear was identified as the primary form of wear. The textured surface’s antifriction mechanism primarily functioned to trap particles, which acted as a secondary lubrication source and altered the lubrication states by serving as a medium for supplied lubricants. The results confirm that a suitable selection of texture parameters can not only effectively reduce the friction coefficient without shortening the service life of the bearing pair but also facilitate the smooth start-up of the rotor–bearing system.

The elastic and plastic deformations have significant effect on the tribological properties of the graphene-reinforced Ni₃Al matrix self-lubricating composites. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the tribological behavior and wear mechanisms of graphene-reinforced Ni₃Al matrix self-lubricating composites by researching the effects of different loads and the corresponding friction heat on the elastic or plastic deformation. The dry sliding tribology tests of graphene-reinforced Ni₃Al matrix self-lubricating composites are carried out at the loads of 7, 10, 13, and 16N, respectively. The elastic or plastic deformation is judged by comparing the yield stress with the contact stress analyzed by the numerical simulation method. It is found that graphene-reinforced Ni₃Al matrix self-lubricating composites exhibit good tribological properties at 13 N due to the elastic deformation, leading to the formation of relatively stable wear resistant layer. Graphene-reinforced Ni₃Al matrix self-lubricating composites show poor tribological performance at 16 N for the plastic deformation, resulting in the destruction of the wear resistant layer and the generation of surface cracks and material spalling. From the mechanical mechanism of wear, the plastic deformation and thermal stress are the important factors to lead to the material spalling. The results could be used to guide the selection of suitable working conditions for having good tribological performance of low wear and long service life.

As the contact part of metal-matrix self-lubricating composites during sliding friction, the friction interface layer directly affects the tribological performance of the material. However, the formation of the friction interface layer with outstanding tribological performance is limited by the friction conditions during sliding friction. To address this problem, based on the antifriction and wear resistance mechanisms of the in situ formed friction interface layer of Ni₃Al matrix self-lubricating composites (NMSCs) with homogeneous solid lubricant, Ni₃Al matrix self-lubricating composites with a gradient composite structure (Ni₃Al-GCS) were prepared via laser melt deposition, in which each component layer contained different contents of Sn-Ag-Cu and Ti₃SiC₂. Dry sliding friction tests of Ni₃Al-GCS against GCr15 steel balls were performed under different loading conditions. The results showed that the tribological performances of Ni₃Al-GCS in the range of 4–16 N were less affected by the variation of the loading conditions than those of NMSCs. The gradient composite structure of Ni₃Al-GCS could reduce the dependence of the tribological behavior on the friction conditions, resulting in excellent antifriction and wear resistance of Ni₃Al-GCS in a wide load range. In addition, the gradient composite structure could reduce the sliding contact damage of the friction contact surface of Ni₃Al-GCS, and contribute to the formation of friction interface layer rich in the lubrication phase and oxides, thus improving the tribological performance of Ni₃Al-GCS during sliding friction. This study provides new approaches for the tribological design of metal-matrix self-lubricating composites in a wide load range.