Systems and Methods Implementing Wear-Resistant Copper-Based Materials

A method for increasing the wear-resistance of a mechanical component comprising:

• forming a mechanical component having at least one outer surface configured to engage with a mated component and subject to a wear-causing process;
• wherein at least an outer surface of the mechanical component is formed from a material having a fracture toughness of less than 80 MPa·m1/2, a hardness of less than 450 Vickers and comprising CuZrXZ and optionally Z,
• wherein X is at least one of Al and Be,
• wherein Z is one of:
• Y, Nb, Ti, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, B, C, Si, P, Mo, Pd, Ag, Sn, Sb, Hf, Ta, W, Pt, Au, and mixtures thereof,
• wherein the atomic % of Cu is at least 39.77,
• wherein the atomic % of Al, where present, is between approximately 3% and 10%,
• wherein the atomic % of Be, where present, is between approximately 3% and 10%, and
• wherein the atomic ratio of Cu to Zr is approximately between 2:3 and 3:2;
• preparing the mechanical component such that a at least one outer surface has surface irregularities sufficiently small to prevent wear of greater than 15 μm in a single wear cycle;
• and
• configuring the mechanical component such that the wear-causing process from the mated component imparts a wear stress on the at least one outer surface of less than 5 MPa such that oxidation of the outer surface of the component is inhibited during operation of the wear-causing process.