Sliding wear characteristics of grey cast iron as influenced by sliding speed,load and environment

Abstract

The present investigation pertains to the observations made during sliding of a grey cast iron against a steel counterface over a range of sliding speeds, applied loads and test environments. The nature of the environment was altered through the presence of oil and suspended graphite particles therein. The presence of oil improved the wear characteristics of the samples in terms of lower wear rate and decreased frictional heating in general. An additional presence of suspended graphite particles in the oil lubricant brought about a further improvement in the wear response of the samples in all the test conditions except at the highest speed at high applied loads; the trend reversed in the latter case. Increasing speed and load led to deterioration in the wear behaviour. The behaviour of the material has been explained in terms of specific response of different microconstituents such as pearlite, ferrite and graphite and corroborated with the observed features of wear surfaces, subsurface regions and debris particles.     

The unlubricated wear of flake graphite cast iron

The wear behaviour of flake graphite cast iron was correlated with the microstructural parameters of graphite volume fraction and flake size using a pin-on-ring specimen configuration. Pin specimens of cast iron were prepared under carefully controlled melting and casting conditions to provide microstructures with variation in either carbon content or flake size but with the same type A graphite structure and pearlitic matrix.Mild and severe modes of equilibrium wear were identified, the predominant effect of both microstructural parameters being in the severe wear regime. Decrease in flake size and increase in carbon content are detrimental to the wear behaviour resulting in a marked increase in the severe wear rate and a decrease in the mild-to-severe transition load.     

Hardness as a guide to the wear characteristics of tin-containing nodular cast iron

It is well known that the presence of ferrite in cast iron results in more rapid wear and greater tendency toward the severe mode of wear. The formation of ferrite, however, can be suppressed by the addition of a pearlite-promoting element such as tin¹. Additions of about 0.1% tin to the melt will ordinarily insure fully pearlitic structures in normal flake or nodular iron. The tin makes the iron insensitive to heat treatment and rate of cooling of the casting. Absence of ferrite is reflected in the greater hardnesses of irons receiving the same heat treatment. This study was carried out in order to determine if hardnesses of tin-containing irons are an adequate guide to their wear characteristics.     

Friction and wear of sintered cast iron products

The wear and frictional characteristics of five types of sintered cast iron swarf powder, or the same powder decarbonized by a mechanical procedure, were investigated using a pin-and-disk-type apparatus. The contact pressure was 19.6 N cm^?2 and the sliding velocity varied from 0.1 to 4.0 m s^?1. The wear rate exhibited a maximum at a velocity of 1.0 m s^?1. A slight improvement was found in specimens which were decarbonized and forged before sintering. However, the wear rate at lower velocities of these specimens was inferior to that of a specimen containing 5% graphite. The wear mechanism was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and electron probe X-ray microanalysis, and it was found that oxidation wear had an important effect.     

A metallurgical evaluation of tool wear and chip formation when machining pearlitic grey cast irons with dissimilar graphite morphologies

The need for superior in-service strength has meant that an increasing number of engineering components are now being made from pearlitic cast irons containing spheroidal graphite, rather than the more traditional cast irons containing flake graphite. Such changes of workpiece material have resulted in a rapid decline in tool life in many machining operations, particularly turning and facing.An investigation into the factors involved during chip formation which result in the observed patterns of tool wear is described in the work presented here. A series of turning tests were made on pearlitic grey cast irons containing flake (GA iron) and spheroidal (SG iron) graphite morphologies with cemented carbide (coated and uncoated) and ceramic tool materials. Built-up edge persisted to higher cutting speeds when cutting SG iron than GA iron, its periodic detachment causing attrition or fracture of the cutting edge. Smooth wear processes, probably caused by dissolution-diffusion and small strain discrete plastic deformation, were predominant on the rake and flank faces of the coated and ceramic tools when cutting both cast irons at high speed. Smooth wear was less rapid when cutting GA iron than SG iron because tool temperatures were reduced and “protective” nonmetallic layers, deposited from the chip-workpiece, interrupted dissolution-diffusion. When cutting SG iron, rapid wear of the uncoated cemented carbides was caused by attrition, while the relatively slower smooth wear, when cutting GA iron, was caused by dissolution-diffusion.     

Dry sliding wear characteristics of some industrial polymers against steel counterface

In this investigation, the influence of test speed and applied pressure values on the friction and wear behaviour of polyamide 66 (PA 66), polyoxymethylene (POM), ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), 30% glass fibre reinforced polyphenylene-sulfide (PPS+30%GFR) and aliphatic polyketone (APK) polymers were studied. Friction and wear tests of PA 66, POM, UHMWPE, PPS+30%GFR and APK versus AISI D2 steel were carried out at dry condition on a pin-on-disc arrangement. Tribological tests were performed at room temperature at different pressures (0.35–1.05 MPa) and sliding speeds (0.5–2.0 m/s). The results showed that, for all polymers used in this investigation, the coefficient of friction decreases linearly with the increase in pressure. The specific wear rate for UHMWPE, PPS+30%GFR and APK were in the order of 10⁻⁵ mm³/N m, while the wear rate value for PA 66 was in the order of 10⁻⁶ mm³/N m. In addition to this, the wear rate value for POM was in the order of 10⁻³ mm³/N m. Furthermore, as the results of this investigation, the wear rate showed very little sensitivity to the applied pressures and test speed.     

Hot wear properties of ceramic and basalt fiber reinforced hybrid friction materials

In the present study, hybrid friction materials were manufactured using ceramic and basalt fibers. Ceramic fiber content was kept constant at 10 vol% and basalt fiber content was changed between 0 to 40 vol%. Mechanical properties and friction and wear characteristics of friction materials were determined using a pin-on-disc type apparatus against a cast iron counterface in the sliding speeds of 3.2–12.8 m/s, disc temperature of 100–350 °C and applied loads of 312.5–625 N. The worn surfaces of the specimens were examined by SEM. Experiments show that fiber content has a significant influence on the mechanical and tribological properties of the composites. The friction coefficient of the hybrid friction materials was increased with increasing additional basalt fiber content. But the specific wear rates of the composites decreased up to 30 vol% fiber content and then increased again above this value. The wear tests showed that the coefficient of friction decreases with increasing load and speed but increases with increasing disc temperature up to 300 °C. The most important factor effecting wear rate was the disc temperature followed by sliding speed. The materials showing higher specific wear rates gave relatively coarser wear particles. XRD studies showed that Fe and Fe₂O₃ were present in wear debris at severe wear conditions which is indicating the disc wear.     

Comparative research on wear characteristics of spheroidal graphite cast iron and carbon steel

Wear characteristics of a spheroidal graphite cast iron and a carbon steel were studied under atmospheric conditions at 25–400 °C. The spheroidal graphite cast iron presented obviously different wear behaviors from the carbon steel, which may be attributed to the presence of graphite. With an increase of ambient temperature, tribo-oxides of carbon steel substantially increased and its substrate softened, thus severe wear, oxidative mild wear, oxidative wear and extrusive wear took turns to prevail. However, compared with carbon steel in the same case, tribo-oxides were markedly reduced in the spheroidal graphite cast iron, thus oxidative mild wear and oxidative wear did not appear due to the lack of oxides. It is suggested that less tribo-oxides in the spheroidal graphite cast iron may be attributed to the reduction of graphite to tribo-oxides during sliding.     

The effect of cast iron graphites on friction and wear performance: II: Variables influencing graphite film formation

Cast iron may be classed as a self-lubricating metal-base composite material. The cast iron graphites have an excellent lubricity which is similar to that of a solid lubricant and contributes to the decreases in the wear loss and the friction coefficient. Factors affecting graphite film formation are discussed. The coefficient of friction increases with substrate hardness because graphite film formation is influenced by the relative difficulty of substrate deformation. Although adhesive wear and the friction coefficient increase with decreasing air pressure, the cast iron graphites contribute to the decrease in wear rate in the region of 10^?2 Torr. Water vapour pressure has a direct effect on film formation and film hardening, particularly above 16 Torr. The lubricity of cast iron graphites was confirmed at temperatures below 100°C. The friction coefficient increases with the temperature rise owing to hardening of the graphite film. The effect of cast iron graphites on rolling wear resistance is discussed.     

Plate-like wear particle formation in a lubricated ball-on-plate friction pair

The mechanism of formation of plate-like wear particles in a ball-on-plate lubricated friction pair has been examined for wear constants of K < 10⁻¹⁰ (mm³ mm⁻¹ N⁻¹). The plate Vicker's hardness was 2.80–3.00 kN/mm², the sliding speed 1.74 m s⁻¹ and the load 50 N. The following mechanism is suggested: scratching of the surface and formation of ridges at the scratch border, lateral deformation of ridges and formation of thin sheets, and cracking and separation of plate-like particles from these sheets.     

The lubricated wear of ceramics : Part II: The wear and friction of silicon nitride and steel in the presence of mineral oil or an ester based lubricant

The friction and wear characteristics of combinations of silicon nitride, alumina and AISI 52100 steel in the presence of mineral oil containing anti-wear, dispersant and detergent additives have been investigated in a tri-pin-on-disc machine. The tests were carried out at a nominal temperature of 100°C for a range of sliding speeds, loads and total sliding distances. In Part II of this two-part paper a comparison will be made between the tribological performance of these sliding pairs of materials in mineral oil and ester based lubricant environments. The results of the investigation showed that the alumina performed relatively poorly under these test conditions, whereas silicon nitride showed good potential as an improved wear resisting material compared with 52100 steel. Wear factors of the order of 10⁻¹⁰ mm³/Nm were deduced for the alumina, while values as low as 10⁻¹¹ mm³/Nm were typical of the silicon nitride sliding against 52100 steel discs. The alumina pins wore by a process of brittle fracture at the surface, whereas the silicon nitride pins wore primarily by a tribochemical polishing mechanism. The rate of tribo-chemical wear was found to be proportional to the nominal contact area.     

Fine friction cutting: a useful wear process

Friction cutting of metals was first reported almost 160 years ago. This review concentrates on its latest development, the slitting of nickel-chromium, titanium and ferrous alloys by toothless, water-cooled, mild steel discs spinning with a rim speed between 50 and 100 ms⁻¹. Slits an thin an 0.25 mm can be produced with little surface damage.Slitting occurs by adhesive wear. When oxidation leading to a mild wear state can be prevented, area slitting rates greater than 10 mm² s⁻¹ can be achieved: this is the case with nickel-chromium and titanium alloys and with soft or hardened stainless and tool steels. Oxidation cannot be prevented with carbon steels and most cast irons, so these metals cannot in general be slit usefully by fine friction cutting     

TEM studies of anti-wear films/wear particles generated under boundary conditions lubrication

Friction and wear performance of engine oil were studied in presence of Zinc-dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP) and ZDDP–iron fluoride (FeF₃) combination using a ball-on-ring wear testing device under boundary conditions. Friction and wear performance of engine oil improves in presence of ZDDP–FeF₃ combination. In order to understand the wear mechanisms the microstructure and the chemical composition of wear debris generated during wear process were investigated using TEM together with EDX analyzes. Novel observations on the wear debris generated at different testing loads are presented. Independent of normal loads, amorphous debris containing P, O, Fe and Zn elements and crystalline debris of Fe₂O₃ are formed. No trace of S is present in amorphous debris under low load (2.32 GPa) conditions while S is a dominating element under high loaded (3.68 GPa) conditions. On the other hand, at lower loads a few iron oxide is formed while at higher loads larger sizes of iron oxides are formed resulting in larger friction and wear.     

Effect of phosphide and matrix microstructures on the dry sliding wear of grey cast iron

The effect of a continuous phosphide network in matrices of pearlite, ferrite, martensite, and tempered martensite has been investigated on the dry wear of a grey iron, sliding at a speed of 1.5 m s⁻¹ with stresses of 0.5 and 2.0 MPa against cast iron. A running-in period was observed with a 0.2% P iron, whereas no running-in was observed with the 1.0% P irons. The presence of a continuous phosphide network reduced the wear rate of the pearlite iron by a factor of 0.25. In the weaker matrices (pearlite, ferrite, and tempered martensite) the phosphide network stiffened the matrix, fractured, and formed a particulate composite of phosphide in the deformed surface which resisted deformation. The wear rates and wear mechanisms of the irons are presented and discussed.     

Measurements of tribological properties of poly(pyrrole) thin film bearings

We report the results of a recent study on the tribological properties of electropolymerised thin films at light loads and low speeds. Poly(pyrrole) films incorporating different counter-ions have been electrochemically deposited onto gold electrodes on the plano-convex glass substrates and studied extensively. The measuring apparatus has been greatly improved from that reported earlier and now provides simultaneous monitoring of frictional force and wear. High precision capacitive gauging is employed to provide high resolutions of frictional force of better than 100 μN and height variation (wear) of 2 nm. A large number of specimens of poly(pyrrole) grown from five different counter-ions were prepared and their performances evaluated. The film morphology of each type of film was examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) for control of the variability of film formation. Results are presented for the friction coefficients and wear rates observed for the films typically at a load of 2 N and a sliding speed of 5 mm s⁻¹. The effects of normal loading force and sliding speed on the friction coefficient are also discussed with a load range of 0.2–5 N and a sliding speed up to 30 mm s⁻¹.     

Friction and wear behaviour of hard and superhard coatings at cryogenic temperatures

The work presents data on friction and wear behaviour of pin-on-disc pairs with superhard diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings and hard coatings of zirconium nitride (ZrN) and titanium nitride (TiN) in liquid nitrogen with loads of 2.5 and 10 N and sliding speed of 0.06 m/s. It is shown that at cryogenic temperatures the friction coefficients of pairs of two types of DLC coatings obtained by vacuum-arc deposition of filtered high-speed carbon plasma fluxes depend to a great deal on the mechanical properties of the coatings defined by predominant sp² or sp³ hybridization of valence electrons. A friction coefficient of 0.76 was observed for friction pairs of superhard (90 GPa) DLC coatings having properties similar to those of diamond. For “softer” DLC coatings of 40 GPa and properties similar to those of graphite the friction coefficient shows lower values (0.24–0.48) dependent on normal load and counterbody material. The DLC coatings obtained by the filtered arc technology exhibit good wear resistance and have strong adhesion to the substrate under friction in liquid nitrogen. With a normal load of 10 N under cryogenic temperature a low wear rate (of the order of 7.2×10⁻⁴ nm/cycle) was found for superhard DLC coatings. The friction coefficient of pairs with hard ZrN and superhard DLC coatings on steel discs was revealed to be linearly dependent on the counterbody material hardness between 20 and 100 GPa. The hardness of the pin was varied by means of depositing TiN or DLC coatings and also by using high-hardness compounds (boron nitride and synthetic diamond). Proceeding this way can be promising since it offers the possibility of creating low-temperature junctions of required friction properties.     

Research on the fretting wear behavior of silicon wafers before and after carbon ions implantation

Carbon ions with different doses of 2×10¹⁵ and 2×10¹⁶ ions/cm² were implanted into single crystal silicon wafers under an energy level of 80 keV. The nanohardness and elastic modulus of silicon wafers were studied on the nano-mechanical testing system. The fretting wear tests were performed on the UMT-2 Micro-tribometer to evaluate the fretting wear resistance of C⁺ implanted silicon wafer and to investigate its micro-tribological properties. The results demonstrate that the nanohardness and elastic modulus of silicon wafer with dose of 2×10¹⁵ ions/cm² decreased and those of 2×10¹⁶ ions/cm² changed little. Implanted silicon wafer with dose of 2×10¹⁶ ions/cm² had much lower coefficient of friction and wear volume under low loads, which suggests a significant effect of friction-reducing and anti-wear. The results also indicate that abrasive wear was the main wear mechanism for both virgin silicon and C⁺ implanted silicon with dose of 2×10¹⁵ ions/cm². However, adhesive wear played a significant role in the wear mechanism of the C⁺ implanted silicon with dose of 2×10¹⁶ ions/cm² under the low loads, while the abrasive wear dominated the wear mechanism under high loads.     

In situ graphite lubrication of metallic sliding electrical contacts

Decoupled graphite lubrication of monolithic silver brushes on a copper rotor was studied in an ambient air environment under current varying from 0 A/cm² to 200 A/cm² using a custom designed electrical contact tribometer. Bifurcation of the positive and negative brush wear rates was observed at a current density of 200 A/cm². Energy dispersive spectroscopy showed transfer of copper from the rotor to the lower wear negative brush. Scanning electron microscopy of worn brush surface cross-sections created by focused ion beam milling revealed a fine-grained metallic layer below the graphite transfer layer on the negative brush surface; no such layer was found on the positive brush surface. At 40 A/cm², steady-state brush wear rates were very low (<10⁻¹¹ m/m). Friction coefficient at steady state was measured to be 0.15 ± 0.02 and was independent of current direction. Using a scanning white light interferometer, the thickness of the graphite transfer layer on the rotor surface was estimated to be 5 μm. Ultimately, the goal is to model lubricant buildup and removal as a competitive rates problem.     

Investigation of abrasive wear resistance and wear mechanism of composite alloys

The abrasive wear resistance of composite alloys comprising hard tungsten carbide and soft CuNiMn matrix under different wear conditions has been investigated and compared with CrMo cast iron. It was found that Yz-composite alloy with hard cast angular tungsten carbide has greater wear resistance than CrMo cast iron under two-body wear conditions, but lower resistance than Cr-Mo cast iron under three-body wear conditions. It was found that under three-body wear conditions selective wear of the matrix and digging or fragmentation of tungsten carbide particles dominate in Yz-composite alloy, and microcutting and deformed ploughing is dominant under two-body wear conditions. The abrasive wear resistance of composite alloys under two-body wear condition is independent of bulk hardness, but is closely related to the microhardness of tungsten carbide.     

The wear of wrought aluminium alloys under dry sliding conditions

The sliding wear response of several wrought aluminium alloys (2124, 3004, 5056 and 6092) against a high purity alumina (99.9%) counterface was investigated, at a fixed sliding speed of 1 m/s and a load range of 23–140 N. The counterface was chosen so as to minimise the chemically driven aspects of adhesive wear. Severe wear was observed at all loads, with specific wear rates ranging from 0.37×10⁻⁴ to 2.37×10⁻⁴ mm³/N m. In all cases a mechanically mixed layer (MML) was formed, principally from severely work hardened aluminium alloy, but also including fine alumina particles. The thickness and morphology of the layer depended strongly on alloy composition, but the specific wear rate did not depend on the MML properties in a simple manner. The surface work hardening characteristics differed between alloys, but as with the MML, there was no simple relationship between surface work hardening characteristics and specific wear rate. The main correlation was found between the normalised wear rate and normalised pressure, which implies that the hardness of the starting aluminium alloy is the critical variable.