Investigation on the mechanical properties of sintered porous copper compacts

In line with recent attention on porous metals having low and medium porosities in the range of 20–50%, this paper studies the effect of porosity on the mechanical properties of sintered copper compacts. Experiments were designed to investigate the effect of porosity, applied stress and sliding velocity on the wear rate of copper compacts, leading to the finding that the effects of both porosity and applied stress of the wear test on the wear rate are approximately similar and higher than that of sliding velocity. The investigation concerning the effect of porosity on compressive strength indicated that the stress–strain curve of high-porosity compact exhibited identifiable ultimate strength points, though low-porosity compact showed distinct stages of elastic plastic behavior.