A new method for production of a copper coating reinforced with nano-diamonds

A copper coating reinforced with nano-diamonds was produced by the friction cladding (FC) method. The initial bulk material for the coating (a mixture of copper and nano-diamonds) was obtained by mechanical alloying followed by compaction. During the friction cladding, a flexible tool (rotated brush) transfers micro-particles from the bulk material to the surface to be coated. In this work, the coating was applied to cylindrical workpieces. The rotation regimes for a cylindrical workpiece and the flexible tool (brush) were investigated. The friction cladding method allowed obtaining a nano-diamond-reinforced copper coating with excellent adhesion to the base. Electron microscopy revealed no defects in the coating. The nano-diamond particles were evenly distributed in the copper matrix. The method developed yields coatings with improved wear resistance in comparison with non-reinforced coatings. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.