Experimental investigation on sliding and fretting wear of steam generator tube materials

In nuclear power steam generators, high flow rates can induce vibration of the tubes resulting in fretting wear damage due to contacts between the tubes and their supports. In this paper, the sliding and fretting wear tests were performed using Inconel 600HTMA and 690TT against STS 304, which are the steam generator tube materials. The sliding wear tests with a pin-on-disk type tribometer were carried out under various applied loads and sliding speeds at air environment. The fretting wear tests were carried out under various vibrating amplitudes and applied normal loads.

The result of sliding and fretting wear tests show that the heat-treated Inconel 690TT has better wear resistance than Inconel 600HTMA in air. The fretting wear regimes were plotted using the test results and the wear coefficient was calculated also. From the results, it was observed that the wear and tear by stick-slip has very strong effect on the fretting wear behavior.     

A study on wear coefficients and mechanisms of steam generator tube materials

Reciprocating sliding wear tests were performed to evaluate wear properties of Inconel 600MA and 690TT steam generator (SG) tube materials against 405 and 409 ferritic stainless steels. With increasing normal loads and sliding amplitudes, the wear rate of tube materials increased but a wear transition occurred only in Inconel 690TT. Subsurface deformation strengthening seemed to be an important factor that determines the wear resistance of tube materials. After the wear test, the worn surfaces were observed to investigate the wear mechanism of tube materials using SEM. The results indicated that there are different mechanisms of wear particle removal between the tube materials. The differences are related to the degree of work hardening due to the differences in chromium content in the tube materials. Based on the present results, wear coefficient values for the life estimation of SG tubes were calculated according to the work-rate model at each test condition. The wear rate is lower for Inconel 690TT compared to that for Inconel 600MA. Finally, parameters that should be considered for evaluation of wear coefficients were discussed.     

Fretting Wear Behavior and Mechanism of Inconel 690 Alloy Related to the Displacement Amplitude

Fretting wear tests on Inconel 690 alloy were carried out at different displacement amplitudes. The results indicated that with an increase in displacement amplitude, the ratio of tangential force to normal load and wear volume increased. The fretting mode gradually transformed from mostly stick, mixed stick–slip, to full sliding, showing the competition of fretting-induced fatigue cracking and fretting-induced wear. There was a gradient plastic strain created by fretting, which resulted in the formation of a nanocrystalline tribologically transformed structure (TTS) and plastic deformation layers. The plastic strain in the plastic deformation layer gradually increased with an increase in displacement amplitude.     

Effect of Cold Rolling on the Fretting Wear Behavior and Mechanism in Inconel 690 Alloy

The influence of cold rolling on the fretting wear behavior and mechanism of Inconel 690 alloy at 320?°C in air was studied. The wear volume and worn surface were obtained and analyzed using laser scanning confocal microscopy, electron back-scattering diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The grinding surface and strain distribution were also studied by electron back-scattering diffraction to analyze the mechanism of fretting damage. The results indicated that with an increase in cold rolling reduction, the microhardness was increased. However, the friction coefficient and wear volume first increased and then decreased. The characteristics of fretting areas changed from a gross slip regime to a partial slip regime. Accordingly, the damage mechanism in the gross slip regime was a combination of oxidative wear, abrasive wear, and delamination, whereas the damage mechanism in the partial slip regime was mainly adhesive wear.     

核用TP316H钢在不同介质环境下的微动磨损性能

采用自制的液态钠环境微动磨损试验机,研究了核用TP316H传热管在不同环境 (室温大气、室温水、450 ℃大气、450 ℃液态钠)下的微动磨损性能。试验采用管/柱正交接触方式,试验结束后,采用超景深显微镜、三维光学显微镜、SEM和EDS对磨痕形貌、摩擦化学反应及磨损量进行了表征,对比分析了4种介质环境对TP316H的微动磨损的影响,发现TP316H合金管在450 ℃液态钠中的磨损率最大,在室温水中的磨损率最小。4种介质环境下的磨损机理不同,室温大气环境中的磨损主要是剥层和氧化磨损,随着温度升高,氧化磨损加重;室温水环境中的磨损以磨粒磨损为主;高温液态钠环境中的磨损为磨损和腐蚀的耦合协同作用。     

Effect of Cold Rolling on the Fretting Wear Behavior and Mechanism in Inconel 600 Alloy

The fretting test was carried out using an SRV IV fretting test rig in order to investigate the fretting wear behavior and mechanism in Inconel 600 alloy at room temperature. The materials were rolled to different reductions before the test. The effect of cold rolling on the friction coefficient and wear volume was subsequently investigated. The surface and cross-sectional morphologies of the wear scar were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), and electron back-scattering diffraction (EBSD). The results indicated that the cold rolling had a different effect on wear behavior in different slip regimes. In the stick regime, cold rolling strongly decreased the wear volume, although it did not affect the friction coefficient. The 25% rolled specimen had the minimum wear volume. The mechanisms of as-received and 50% rolled specimens were delamination and oxidation wear, whereas for the 25% rolled specimen, cracking was the main wear mechanism. In the gross slip regime, cold rolling had little effect on the friction coefficient or wear volume. The fretting wear process gave rise to a decrease in the Σ3 grain boundary, an increase in local misorientation, and a change in the crystal orientation.     

Investigation on the Fretting Wear Behavior and Mechanisms of Alloy 690TT during the Transformation from Mixed Regime to Partial Slip Regime Induced by Elevated Temperature

Fretting wear of Alloy 690TT can occur in the steam generator of a nuclear power plant, in which the interfacial conditions are changed as the temperature varies. In this study, the gradual transformation from the mixed fretting regime (MFR) to the partial slip regime (PSR) occurred with an increase in test temperature. Correspondingly, there was a competition in wear modes due to the formation of a nanostructured tribologically transformed structure (TTS), presence of delamination cracking, nucleation of fatigue cracks, and oxidation. Delamination within the TTS dominated first. As the area of TTS and the plastic deformation region was reduced, fatigue cracks began to initiate. Oxidation was accelerated by an increase in the test temperature, and that effect resulted in reduced wear volume of Alloy 690TT in the MFR.     

690合金材料的微动磨损特性研究

利用微动磨损试验机,在载荷50N以及位移幅值为60μm、100μm、150μm的工况下,研究了690合金材料在常温下的微动磨损行为及其动力学特性,采用激光共焦扫描显微镜(LCSM)和扫描电子显微镜(SEM)观察磨痕微观形貌。结果表明,载荷和位移幅值对微动特征有很大的影响,微动运行完全处于滑移状态。在滑移区,滑移磨损严重、磨痕面积大。690合金材料的磨损机制主要表现为磨粒磨损与剥层的共同作用。     

System18牙科支架合金在人工唾液下的微动磨损性能研究

为研究牙科支架合金的微动磨损性能,采用PLINT高精度液压伺服式微动磨损试验机,在法向载荷50N、频率2Hz、位移幅值3-30μm,在大气和人工唾液2种介质条件下,对System18牙科合金进行了微动磨损实验。分析了其微动磨损的动力学特性,并结合光镜（OM）、扫描电子显微镜（SEM）对磨痕及磨屑的成分进行了分析。结果表明：人工唾液对微动运行区域有明显改变;人工唾液明显减轻了System18牙科合金的微动损伤;其主要磨损机制为磨粒磨损和剥层磨损。     

TiAlZr合金微动磨损性能研究

采用高精度液压式微动磨损试验机研究了TiA lZr合金在不同微动运行区域的微动磨损行为,建立了其运行工况微动图。试验结果表明:滑移区、混合区和部分滑移区的摩擦因数随循环次数变化呈现不同的规律,其中部分滑移区摩擦因数较低,磨损体积随着位移幅值的增大而增大;滑移区、混合区磨损体积随着法向载荷的增加而增大,而部分滑移区磨损体积随着法向载荷的增加而减小;滑移区磨屑堆积于中心区域,磨损以磨粒磨损和剥层机制为主;混合区磨损机制主要表现为粘着磨损与磨粒磨损并存;部分滑移区磨损轻微。     

A study on fretting fatigue characteristics of Inconel 690 at high temperature

Inconel 690 alloy is used in nuclear power plant steam generator tubes. Fretting fatigue experiments were performed on Inconel 690 specimens at room temperature and at the nuclear power plant operating temperature of 320 °C. By comparing the fretting fatigue test data at room temperature and 320 °C, this study analyzed the change in characteristics related to the fatigue limit at 10⁷ cycles. In addition, this study attempted to measure changes in the friction force for repetitive cycles in fretting fatigue tests, and analyzed the mechanism of fretting fatigue by observing the fracture surfaces and performing spectrum analysis.     

Fretting wear behavior of TiB2-based materials against bearing steel under water and oil lubrication

Lubricated fretting tests in water and paraffin oil were performed with a monolithic TiB₂, a TiB₂-based cermet with 16 vol.% Ni₃(Al, Ti) binder, a sialon–TiB₂ (60/40) composite and a ZrO₂–TiB₂ (70/30) composite against ball bearing grade steel. Based on the measured friction and wear data, the ranking of the investigated fretting couples was evaluated. Furthermore, the morphological investigations of the worn surfaces and transfer layers are carried out and the wear mechanisms for the investigated friction couples are elucidated. While fretting in water, experiments revealed that tribochemical reactions, coupled with mild abrasion, played a major role in the wear behavior of the studied material combinations. ZrO₂–TiB₂ (70/30)/steel wear couple has been found to have the highest fretting wear resistance among the different tribocouples under water lubrication. Under oil lubrication, extensive cracking of the paraffin oil at the fretting contacts, caused by tribodegradation, leads to the deposition of a carbon-rich lubricating layer, which significantly reduced friction and wear of all the investigated tribosystems.     

A generalized fretting wear theory

Combined impact-sliding fretting wear is a complex phenomenon due to the random nature of the excitation force and the self-induced tribological changes. Available models, which relate wear losses to the process variables, are empirical in nature and bear no physical similarity to the actual mathematical and physical attributes of the wear process. A generalized fretting wear theory is presented to mathematically describe the fretting wear process under various modes of motion; impact, sliding and oscillatory. This theory, which is based on the findings from the fracture mechanics analysis of the crack initiation and propagation processes, takes into consideration the simultaneous action of both the surface adhesion and subsurface fatigue mechanisms. The theory also accounts for the micro-, and macro-contact configuration of the fretting tribo-system. The closed form solution requires the calibration of a single parameter, using a limited number of experiments, to account for the effect of environment and the support material. The model was validated using experimental data that were reported for Inconel 600 and Incoloy 800 materials at room and high temperature environment, and for different types of motion. The results showed that model can accurately predict wear losses within a factor of ±3. This narrow range presents better than an order of magnitude improvement over the current state-of-the-art models.     

On the fretting wear mechanism of Zr-alloys

Zirconium alloys are highly desirable in nuclear applications due to their transparency to thermal energy neutrons and for their high corrosion resistance. The main objective of this study is to investigate the fretting wear mechanism of Zr–2.5%Nb alloy. The experimental work was carried out in air at 265 °C, using a specially designed fretting wear tribometer. The transfer of material, the change in the wear volume and the maximum wear depth with the number of cycles were measured through 3D mapping of the topography of the fretted surface. SEM and Fourier Transform Infrared Interferometry methods were used to examine the microspall pits and to measure the distribution of the thickness of oxide layer in the fretting region. For relatively small slip amplitude, the results showed that the fretting wear mechanism is initially dominated by adhesion and abrasion actions and then by delamination and surface fatigue. The time variation of the wear losses was shown to be cyclic until a steady state value is reached. At high slip amplitudes, however, abrasion and delamination are the only dominant wear mechanisms. The volumetric wear losses were found to decrease monotonically with the number of cycles. A novel approach was introduced, whereby the thermal and electrical contact resistances of the fretting interface are simultaneously measured. The results demonstrated the potential use of this non-intrusive approach for real-time monitoring of the fretting wear mechanism.     

Fretting wear and friction behaviour of engineering ceramics

Friction and wear characteristics of partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ) fretted against itself and against high carbon steel were investigated. The results for the transformation toughened PSZ ceramics are compared with the behaviour of more brittle alumina ceramic under the same test conditions. Fretting tests in air were carried out on a high frequency wear test rig at room temperature using a cross-cylinder configuration. It was found that both the oxide ceramics were more resistant to fretting wear than the steel. Surface cracking was observed on the alumina wear scars while microfracture and delamination dominated on the PSZ wear scars. When metallic samples were fretted against ceramics, metallic film transfer to the ceramic surfaces occurred.     

Application of influence function method on the fretting wear of tube-to-plate contact

The structural integrity of steam generators in nuclear power plants is much dependent on the fretting wear characteristics of Inconel 690 U-tubes. The influence function method for the tube-to-plate contact model is demonstrated in this study to investigate the fretting wear problems on the secondary side of the steam generator, which are caused by flow induced vibrations between the U-tubes and supports. Two-dimensional numerical contact model is developed and formulated in terms of the Cauchy singular integral equation. The distributions of normal pressures, shear stresses and displacement fields are derived between two contact bodies which have similar elastic properties. Based on the algorithms for normal pressures and relative slip, a numerical approach is developed to simulate the fretting wear of tube-to-plate contacts. The work rate model is adopted in this study to find the wear amounts between two materials. The results are compared with the solutions by finite element analyses to validate the application of the present method to fretting wear problems.     

Fretting behaviour of W-Si coated steels in vacuum environments

This study was focused on the effects of stroke on the fretting behaviour of sputtered W-Si coatings under room and vacuum environments. Fretting tests were carried out with AISI 52100 steel hemispherical ended pin against W-Si coated AISI M2 steel. The tangential force and the applied strokes were monitored during the tests in order to build up the fretting loops. The surface morphology of the wear scars was analysed by optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in order to identify the wear modes and the fretting mechanisms. The shape of the fretting loops was used to characterise the fretting regimes. The formation of adherent films is determinant on the fretting behaviour and depends on the test environment. Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) was used to analyse the composition of the adherent material and the role of oxides on the formation of the transferred layers. The influence of the coating on the fretting characteristics was discussed comparing coated and uncoated specimens.     

不同润滑介质下GCr15/45#钢摩擦磨损特性的研究

利用DELTALAB-NENEDS20型高精度液压式微动试验机在干摩擦、水润滑和油润滑等条件下，对GCr15／45#钢进行了微动磨损实验，研究了润滑条件对GCr15／45#钢对摩时的摩擦学性能的影响，并利用激光共焦显微镜对45#钢的磨损表面进行了观察和分析。结果表明润滑介质可以降低摩擦副摩擦因数和45#钢的磨损量；材料的磨损机制也随着润滑条件的不同发生了相应的变化。     

The effect of slip amplitude on fretting

The effect of slip amplitude on the mechanism of fretting was investigated. Measurements of wear volume, frictional coefficient and of electrical contact resistance were carried out to clarify the wear mechanism. X-ray microdiffraction was used to observe the difference of wear behaviour, and scanning electron microscopic observations were made.At small slip amplitudes wear damage was small compared with that at larger amplitudes the transition being in the region of 70 μ.At smaller slip amplitudes fretting oxidation, a mild type of wear occurs. At larger slip amplitudes, adhesion and abrasion together with oxidation cause fretting wear. At much larger slip amplitudes, wear similar to reciprocating sliding wear occurs.     

Fretting wear in seawater

Fretting tests of bearing steel (SUJ-2) and ceramics (Al₂O₃ and Si₃N₄) were carried out in the following environments: air, deionized water, 3.07% NaCl solution, synthetic seawater and natural seawater. Also, investigations to determine the optimum fretting wear resistant material for ships, marine equipment and offshore structures were conducted. The results showed that (1) the corrosion products formed in seawater behaved as a lubricant and reduced the fretting damage at large amplitudes, but the fretting damage was not greatly influenced by the different environments at very small amplitudes (such as 14 μm), (2) instead of natural seawater, synthetic seawater was adequate for the investigations of fretting wear, but 3.07% NaCl solution was found not to be and (3) the ceramic Al₂O₃ was a potentially useful material against fretting wear under light loads in seawater.