Development of Piston Pin Bushing Material for High Performance Engine

Recent diesel engines require higher performance and longer life. Due to high cylinder pressure, the operating load and temperature of piston pin bushings has become severe. Therefore, high load capacity and wear and corrosion resistance are required for piston pin bushings. To improve the corrosion resistance of copper bushing material, we studied the effects of adding elements to copper alloy. We found that the addition of nickel to copper reduces the sulfide corrosion of copper alloys. In addition, we were able to conclude that copper-nickel alloys can be produced by conventional sintering methods. We also attempted to improve wear resistance by adding hard particles into the copper matrix. The primary goal of the study was to determine the effects of hard particles on wear resistance and the machining process. We found that when a sort of hard particles are added to the copper matrix, the wear resistance improves, but the new matrix is more difficult to machine. To solve this problem, we attempted to use two types of hard particles, fine AlN particles and Fe3P particles. The successful result was an improvement in wear resistance without further complicating the machining process. Based on this study, a new material for piston pin bushings was developed, effectively improving the bushing's wear and corrosion resistance in high performance engines.