Friction and wear of carbon steel near T1-transition under dry sliding

The wear phenomenon of metals under dry sliding is, generally, divided into two modes of severe and mild wear. A discontinuous transition between the wear modes often takes place in a certain load range. The T₁-transition is usually observed at lower levels of load or sliding velocity. There is a great difference in wear rate between severe and mild wear. This indicates that the occurrence of severe wear should be avoided, especially in the field of machine design to prevent energy loss, occurrence of noise and vibration, and life reduction of machines and their components. Therefore, it is important for machine designers to know the relationship between friction and wear and the difference in properties of the wear surfaces in the two wear modes. In this study, wear tests of 0.35% C steel in contact with itself under constant load were conducted in moist air at various contact loads under dry sliding. The friction and wear were measured continuously throughout each test. After the tests, the relationship between friction and wear and the difference in properties of the wear surfaces were investigated in each wear mode. From the results, the upper and lower critical loads (P_acr and P_Acr) appeared between severe and mild wear. The phenomenon of zero wear has been newly found in the early period at very low loads. The zero wear continued for a long sliding distance and then changes to mild wear. The critical load between zero wear and mild wear is defined as P_zerowear. The load was changed once in a step-wise manner from low to high levels in process of test. Since the rubbing history under mild wear condition at the low load in the first stage affected the properties of wear surface, the wear mode at the high load in the second stage changed from ‘mild wear’ to ‘quasi-mild wear’ having a low rate. From the relationship between sliding distance necessary for the appearance of quasi-mild wear and contact load in the first stage, the boundary curve between severe wear and quasi-mild wear in the second stage is hyperbolic. This curve gradually approaches P_zerowear with decreasing contact load. Thus, P_zerowear is one of the important critical loads for elucidating the test results under varying load.     

Abrasive wear between rough surfaces in deep drawing

In tribology, many surface contact models are based on the assumption that surfaces are composed of a collection of small asperities of which the tips are equally sized and spherically shaped and have some kind of statistical height distribution. This approach was used in 1966 by Greenwood and Williamson and was successfully followed by many researchers during the following decades. The statistical representation of surface topography enables calculation of contact forces and asperity deformations with reasonable accuracy using well established equations. Although this approach has proven to be suitable for static contact situations, alternative representations of the surface topography are required when modelling abrasive wear. In the current work an elastoplastic contact model is developed in which a representation of the surface topography is obtained by best fit approximations of the micro-contacts, obtained from real, measured surface height data. In this deterministic surface representation, the tips of the contacting asperities are assumed to have an ellipsoidal shape. Given the material parameters and contact conditions, the load and deformation of a single asperity can be computed. Subsequently, the wear induced by each individual asperity is obtained by inserting its size and shape and the conditions into a “single asperity micro-abrasion model”. By summing the contributions of all individual asperities, the total abrasive wear volume is obtained. The results of the developed abrasive wear model are compared with results obtained using a statistical approach.     

Effects of Contact on the Abrasiveness of a Thin Boron Carbide Coating

Boron carbide (B₄C) has been studied under dry sliding conditions for use as a potential finite-life run-in coating. Such a coating has been found to polish its mating surface during dry sliding wear, thereby providing fatigue resistance to the coated part. Employing such run-in coatings requires a complete understanding of the changes that occur in the coating abrasiveness during the polishing process. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the changes in the contact conditions of such a system needs to be obtained. This study presents the role that contact plays in changes of the overall coating abrasiveness. By performing sliding wear experiments using various contact conditions, i.e. ball-on-disc, pin-on-disc and cone-on-disc, we directly investigated the effects of macro-scale contact conditions on the coating abrasiveness. It was found that the rate at which the coating abrasiveness decreased was independent of the macro-scale contact conditions. These findings were further validated by investigating the coating abrasiveness results that were obtained by performing spiral track wear experiments. Through the use of a three-dimensional thermomechanical asperity contact model, it was found that the coating abrasiveness was controlled by the actual micro-scale contact conditions. This study supports the classic Greenwood–Williamson model, which states that the number of micro-scale contacts and the total actual area of contact remains constant for a given load.     

轴颈倾斜对内燃机主轴承润滑和磨损的影响

建立内燃机主轴承热弹性流体动力润滑模型,考虑轴颈倾斜,以粗糙接触压力表征轴颈与轴瓦的磨损程度.通过对不同工况下主轴颈倾斜角度、粗糙接触压力等的计算,研究轴颈倾斜对主轴承润滑和磨损的影响.结果表明,轴颈不对中倾斜角度较小时,主轴承仍能够处于流体润滑状态;轴颈倾斜角度较大时,轴承处于边界润滑状态,出现偏摩擦磨损.转速和负荷对轴颈倾斜影响较大,高转速和满负荷时轴承的润滑不良,磨损较大.     

Analysis of mixed lubrication mechanism in metal-on-metal hip joint replacements

A simple mixed lubrication model has been developed to predict the asperity contact and wear for the metal-on-metal bearing couple for total hip joint replacements. It has been shown that the femoral head radius has a large effect on the predicted asperity contact and wear depending on the lubrication regime. An increase in the femoral head radius can lead to an increase in wear under a predominantly boundary lubrication regime, but this trend can be reversed under a mixed lubrication regime towards fluid film lubrication. These observations are consistent with the recent experimental findings from hip simulator studies by Smith and co-workers.     

Effect of varying load on wear resistance of carbon steel under unlubricated conditions

Pin-on-disk type wear tests of mild steel in contact with itself were conducted under unlubricated conditions in moist air to investigate the effect of changes in load on the transition behavior between severe and mild wear. Machines in operation are usually subjected to varying loads. In this study, two contact load levels were used as a simple varying load condition. The load was changed in a step-wise manner between the low and high levels either once or twice during certain tests.Severe wear appears at the high load levels and mild wear at the low load levels in wear tests under constant loading. After oxidized, work-hardened wear surfaces have been formed under mild wear at the low load during the first stage, the wear mode changes to “quasi-mild wear” having a low rate at the high load in the final stage. The load range, where the low wear rate can be maintained under quasi-mild wear, extends to the higher load level after the change(s) in load. Once the quasi-mild wear surface has been generated, the wear mode can be maintained even at the high load for a very long sliding distance.     

An explanation of the wear of metals

Mathematical analysis establishes that the well-known empirical linear wear law for the adhesive wear of metals is the consequence of the statistics of surface roughness and is almost independent of the assumed contact model. A strain ratio fatigue failure criterion (i.e. the Manson-Coffin low cycle fatigue law) coupled with a probabilistic treatment of surface asperity height distribution and surface contact provides, for the first time, a fundamental explanation for the formation of wear particles.     

The significance of near surface microstructure in the wear process

The wear process in which flake-like debris is developed and removed from the surface of metals in sliding contact is the direct result of heavy plastic deformation of a thin surface layer. The repeated ploughing of asperity contacts over a mating surface can produce high dislocation densities and eventual change in the microstructure to a cell-type structure found in heavily deformed metals. Cell sizes depend on material characteristics such as stacking fault energy, the applied stress and the temperature. It is shown that a cell structure can present many suitable pathways for subsurface crack generation and the release of thin wear flakes without the benefit of asperity cold welding and shear. Depth of crack formation and severity of wear can be associated with stacking fault energy. Changes in the microstructure caused by frictional heating or change in strain rate can cause abrupt changes in wear mode.     

Microtribology

Contacts in microsystems are under very light loads, and contact elements are made of hard materials. However, contact surfaces are not always atomically smooth but have relatively high peaks of asperity. Silicon is hard but has poor anti‐wear properties. Good hard coatings thus become necessary for low wear. Liquid lubricants or adsorbed water generate meniscus forces and stiction. Therefore, a new lubrication method is required for coated surfaces. The present understanding of mechanisms of stiction and the generation of pull‐off force and high friction is reviewed for such contact conditions. New hard coating materials and a new concept of N2 lubrication that exhibit promising friction and wear behaviour are introduced. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modeling of fretting wear evolution in rough circular contacts in partial slip

This paper presents a numerical model that maps the evolution of contact pressure and surface profile of Hertzian rough contacting bodies in fretting wear under partial slip conditions. The model was used to determine the sliding distance of the contacting surface asperities for one cycle of tangential load. The contact pressure and sliding distance were used with Archard's wear law to determine local wear at each surface asperity. Subsequently, the contact surface profile was updated due to wear. The approach developed in this study allows for implementation of simulated and/or measured real rough surfaces and study the effects of various statistical surface properties on fretting wear. The results from this investigation indicate that an elastic–perfectly plastic material model is superior to a completely elastic material model. Surface roughness of even small magnitudes is a major factor in wear calculations and cannot be neglected.     

The influence of atmospheric humidity on the abrasive wear of metals

A pin-on-disc apparatus has been used to obtain continuous simultaneous measurements of the wear and friction (sliding force) behaviour of metals on bonded silicon carbide abrasive paper under conditions of controlled humidity. Iron, mild steel and copper exhibit qualitatively similar wear behaviour: the wear rate decreases progressively with the number of passes over the same track. In contrast, the wear rate of titanium remains constant. Variation in atmospheric humidity has little effect on the wear rates of copper or titanium, although a slight effect was found in mild steel and iron. A stronger dependence on humidity was found in the friction behaviour of all four metals, as well as a corresponding relationship between humidity and the specific energy required for metal removal by abrasion. Preliminary results from single-particle scratch tests reveal changes in the contact between a single silicon carbide particle and a polished iron surface at different humidity levels. Although only tentative explanations can be made at this stage for these effects, it is evident that any proposed mechanism must account for the behaviour of both the metal and the abrasive together, rather than of one component of the system alone.     

Wear rate testing in relation to airborne particles generated in a wheel–rail contact

This study examines the relationship between generated airborne particles and wear rate in the wheel–rail contact. The wheel–rail contact is experimentally simulated by using pin‐on‐disc testing to determine the difference in wear rate between selected contact conditions. Wear is discussed both in tribological terms and by using the wear categories prevalent in the railway industry, namely, mild, severe and catastrophic wear. The discussion is based on wear depth, the coefficient of friction, topographical measurements and measurements of airborne particles generated in the contact. The tests were performed under selected loading conditions representative of different contact conditions in a real wheel–rail contact. The results indicate that wear rates vary with the contact conditions arising from different types of triggered wear transitions. This is emphasised by the number and size of the airborne particles generated. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Some microscopic aspects of the mild wear of steel*

The paper reviews the experimental classifications of the unlubricated sliding wear of metals, together with some of the suggested relationships between the wear rates, the real area of contact, the load, the hardnesses of the metals and the probability of producing wear particles at the real areas of contact. The microscopic nature of the interactions between sliding surfaces is discussed, with special emphasis on the advantages (and limitations) of using electron microscopy for studying these interactions, and the importance of using X-ray diffraction techniques to complementthe electron microscopy. Examples are then given of how the use of electron microscopy has revealed many facets of the mild wear of steel which would not otherwise have been suspected. For instance, the areas of contact between sliding steel surfaces are comparatively large and few in number, in contradistinction to the situation occurring in stationary contact. These large contact areas crack in a characteristic fashion reminiscent of fatigue failure or brittle fracture. They then flake off at a critical thickness (～ 10^?4cm) to provide the source for the wear debris. The wear debris collects initially in the rough regions which are left behind when the flakes become detached. In this position, the wear debris probably acts in an abrasive fashion. Eventually, the wear debris is thrown clear of the contact area. Analysis of this debris using X-ray diffraction techniques has shown that there is a strong correlation between the presence of certain oxides in the wear debris and the severity or mildness of the wear. It has also been used to estimate the temperatures occurring between the areas in sliding contact. This estimate is consistent with previously published dynamic thermocouple measurements. It also gives rise to consistent values of the activation energy required for oxidation during wear.     

Thermal wear and electrical sliding wear behaviors of the polyimide modified polymer-matrix pantograph contact strip

In the present study, the polyimide resin (PI)/cashew-modified resin (YM) polymer-matrix pantograph contact strip (PMPCS) was prepared by using hot repressing, hydro-solidification and dipping treatment processes. The thermal properties of cured resins were studied by thermogravimetry analyzer and differential scanning calorimetry. The thermal wear and electrical sliding wear behaviors of PMPCS against copper were evaluated by a ring block wear tester at elevated temperature under dry sliding conditions and a wear tester which simulated the train motion under laboratory conditions, respectively. Worn surfaces and wear debris of PMPCS were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometer, and the wear mechanism was discussed. It has been found that the thermal stability of the PI/YM is superior to that of the YM under the same testing conditions. The results also showed that PI/YM-PMPCS had superior wear resistance than that of YM-PMPCS at elevated temperature and with electrical current. At elevated temperature, the wear mechanism of tribological pair evolved from adhesive wear to oxidative wear with mild delamination wear. Arc erosion wear, oxidative wear, and adhesive wear were the dominant mechanisms of tribological pair during the electrical wearing process.     

Development of a test device for the evaluation of fretting in point contact

Fretting wear and fatigue may occur between any two contacting surfaces, wherever short‐amplitude reciprocating sliding is present for a large number of cycles. A test device has been developed for the evaluation of fretting fatigue and wear in partial and gross slip conditions. Three similar sphere‐on‐plane contacts run at the same time. Normal force, tangential force or displacement amplitude and constant bulk stress can be controlled and measured separately. Reciprocating tangential displacement is produced with rotational motion, the amplitude and frequency of which can be adjusted and controlled accurately by an electric shaker. The number of load cycles for crack initiation and growth is determined with strain‐gauge measurements near the fretting point of contact. The contact surfaces are measured with 3D optical profilometer before fretting measurements to determine actual contact geometry. The measurements were done with quenched and tempered steel. The initial results indicate that cracks are mostly formed in partial slip conditions, whereas fretting wear is more heavily involved in gross slip conditions. The initiation of a crack occurs near the edge of the contact in the slip direction, where the calculated cracking risk has its maximum value in partial slip conditions. The number of cracks increases as the displacement amplitude, i.e. friction force, increases in partial slip conditions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

销盘滑动磨损试验的仿真建模研究

以销盘滑动磨损为研究对象,建立了表面微凸体接触特性的物理模型和数学模型,由微凸体接触产生的磨屑推导出销盘滑动磨损仿真模型.采用有限元分析软件ANSYS对半球形微凸体接触应力和变形进行了仿真计算,并用销盘滑动磨损试验数据给予验证,证明了所建立的仿真模型是可行的.研究表明,利用ANSYS求解摩擦学接触问题是准确可靠的,建立正确的磨损仿真模型并辅以参数化设计方法是解决摩擦学仿真问题非常有效的方法.     

Development of a wear equation for polymer-metal sliding in terms of the fatigue and topography of the sliding surfaces

A wear equation has been derived using the concept of fatigue failure due to asperity interactions in the contact region between sliding bodies. One of the three principal stresses that arise in the contact zone under the effect of a normal as well as a tangential load is of tensile nature. It is this principal stress that has been considered to be responsible for the initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks. It is assumed that the deformation in the contact zone is of elastic nature and that both the contacting surfaces are covered with asperities that have spherical tips. The wear equation involves the asperity height distribution φ(z). The particular distribution for a sliding situation is determined from experimental studies of the topography of sliding surfaces. The wear equation indicates that the wear rate depends upon the fatigue properties of the weaker material, normal load, sliding speed, coefficient of friction, moduli of elasticity of the contacting materials, asperity density, asperity radius of curvature and the distribution and standard deviation of asperity heights. The variation of wear with these parameters as indicated by the wear equation is in agreement with the experimental studies already reported in the literature.     

Tribological behavior of reciprocating friction drive system under lubricated contact

The dynamic friction and wear behaviors are investigated in reciprocating friction drive system using a 0.45% carbon steel pair. The effects of various operating parameters on the traction force, stick and slip time, and friction modes are examined under the lubricated contacts. Moreover, the critical operating conditions in classifying three friction modes are also established. Results show that the fluid friction induced by the shearing of lubricant dominates the variation of traction force and produces the positive slope γ at the first period of slip in the traction force–relative sliding velocity curve. The γ value decreases at higher driver speed during stick-slip motion due to the thicker fluid film and shear thinning effect. The γ value increases due to the asperity interactions as the friction region is transferred from stick-slip to sticking with normal load from 196 to 980 N. Furthermore, it is also found that the static friction force is independent of stick time for the tangential loading rate ranged from 1.12 to 16.8 s⁻¹. The transition region produces the severest wear under the different driver speeds, but the wear is insensitive to the friction regions and the severe wear only occurs at higher normal load due to the action of Hertzian contact.     

Fretting wear behaviour of polymethylmethacrylate under linear motions and torsional contact conditions

The fretting wear behaviour of PMMA against a rigid counterface has been investigated under various contact zone kinematic conditions. A specific device has been used in order to achieve load axis spin or stationary rolling motions in a contact between a PMMA flat and a steel ball. Wear processes under such conditions have been investigated by means of laser profilometry and in-situ optical observations of the contact area during tests. Very different wear patterns were produced depending on the contact kinematics. For stationary rolling conditions, the progressive accumulation and compaction of debris induced the formation of a single ripple located in the middle of the contact. Very little debris was found to be eliminated from the contact and the resulting wear was quite low. On the other hand, little accumulation of debris was observed for torsional contact conditions and the wear was drastically enhanced. These results are analysed by considering the effects of contact zone kinematics on particle detachment and third body elimination.     

二种锌铝合金润滑时摩擦磨损特性的研究

对二种锌铝合金ＺＡ－ＳｉＴ ＨＤＺＡ在２０号机油润滑条件下的摩擦磨损特性进行了研究。研究发现：该摩擦－润滑系统以边界润滑为主，且伴随有断续的、短暂的混合润滑或弹性流体润滑；磨擦磨损过程中存在着磨粒磨损、接触疲劳和粘着磨损３个磨损机制；二种锌合金在一定条件下具有优良的耐磨性能和减摩性能。研究结果还初步解释了这些试验现象。