Tribological Properties and Friction-Induced Noise Performance of M50 with Curved Microchannels Filled by Sn-Ag-Cu and Ti3C2

M50 steel is one of the most widely used high-performance bearing steels, and the tribological properties are related to its service life. In this paper, the dry sliding tribological tests of M50, M50-Sn-Ag-Cu and M50-Sn-Ag-Cu-Ti3C2 against Si3N4 ceramic balls under different loads were carried out. Through the analysis of worn surface and cross section of wear scar, as well as characteristics of friction signal, the causes of frictional noise are discussed, and the influence of Ti3C2 on the frictional noise is revealed. The results show that the addition of Ti3C2 can significantly improve the tribological performance of M50-Sn-Ag-Cu-Ti3C2, reduce the intensity of frictional noise and suppress its high-frequency components. Frictional noise is caused by the system energy dissipation due to the contact surface roughness. The synergistic effect of Ti3C2 and Sn-Ag-Cu makes the lubricant be easily extruded to the contact surface, which will form a protective layer on the worn surface, thus reducing the surface roughness and frictional noise and improving the tribological performance.