Improving properties of h-BN/GH4169 self-lubricating composites prepared using nickel coated h-BN powders

The service conditions of high temperature and heavy load of aero-engine require high-temperature self-lubricating composites with high strength, low wear and long life. Hence, the high-level objective of this study is to regulate the interface between the substrate and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) lubricant in GH4169 nickel-based high-temperature self-lubricating composites to improve the interfacial bonding strength and the overall performance. Electroless plating method was adopted to coat nickel on h-BN, and the dense high-temperature self-lubricating composites were fabricated through hot-pressing sintering. The effects of nickel coating on h-BN on the microstructure, mechanical properties and high-temperature tribological behaviors of composites were analyzed in detail, and the lubrication mechanism was also elucidated. The results illustrate the Ni@h-BN/GH4169 composites with addition of chemically modified lubricant particles have excellent mechanical properties and lubrication and wear reduction properties, compared to h-BN/GH4169 composites. This is mainly due to the introduction of nickel coating contributed to the distribution uniformity of h-BN in the matrix, and the wettability between h-BN and the substrate together with interfacial bonding strength were enhanced as well. This work provides an insight to overcome the challenges facing the technology when using GH4169 nickel-based self-lubricating composites in manufacturing of mechanical components in aerospace.