Abstract
This study focuses on the wear behaviour of Ti-Cu-based friction composites during tribological testing at 350 °C under a load of 5 N and a sliding distance of 500 m. Composites were fabricated using a planetary ball mill and Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). A mixture based on Ti and Cu is supplemented with waste-metal components (stainless steel, CuZn, and MgAl), reinforced with Al₂O₃ and graphene, and also serves as a lubricant. The Coefficient of Friction (COF) was determined using a ball-on-disc technique with a 100Cr6 ball as the counterbody. Microstructure and mechanical properties were determined using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), and confocal microscopy. SEM/EDS and 3D confocal profilometry reveal that the CuZn-containing composite (TC3) forms the smoothest and most continuous Cu/Zn-oxide-carbon glaze-like film, which minimizes abrasive wear and results in the mildest polishing of the counterbody. It combines the highest but most stable COF (∼0.75) with a ∼25 % lower ball penetration depth than TC2 with MgAl.

Key words
Ti-Cu matrix, friction composites, hot tribological test, friction, wear, metal wastes

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