Tribological properties of AlCoCrFeNiCu high-entropy alloy in hydrogen peroxide solution and in oil lubricant

Pin-on-disc tests to investigate the tribological behavior of AlCoCrFeNiCu high-entropy alloy under lubrication conditions with 90% hydrogen peroxide solution and lubricant oil, respectively, were performed. The study demonstrates that the AlCoCrFeNiCu high-entropy alloy lubricated correspondingly with lubricant of 90% hydrogen peroxide solution (hereafter termed hydrogen peroxide lubricant) and lubricant oil significantly improves its friction and wear-resistance properties. Results showed that the friction coefficient, after a grinding stage, of the rubbing pair was lower than that with normal lubricant oil. The AlCoCrFeNiCu alloy in the lubricant with 90% hydrogen peroxide solution and lubricant oil exhibits a high resistance to wear. Analysis of the worn surface revealed that the AlCoCrFeNiCu high-entropy alloy lubricated with the hydrogen peroxide lubricant exhibited signs of inhomogeneous polishing oxidation and abrasive wear, with the wear mechanism changing with sliding distance, while the rubbing pair in normal lubricant oil is mainly dominated by abrasive wear.     

Resistance to wear and cavitation erosion of bearing alloys

Sliding wear and vibratory cavitation erosion tests in paraffin oil were carried out on bearing alloys, i.e. tin-based and lead-based white metals, Cu-Pb alloy and leaded bronze. In lubricated wear under mild conditions the surface is worn smooth and a slight difference exists between the wear resistances of the four alloys. In cavitation erosion an eroded surface which is much rougher than the worn surface is formed. Cavitation erosion is affected strongly by the composition and crystal structure of the alloy and thus the erosion resistances of the four alloys differ greatly, the ranking of resistance being lead-based white metal < Cu-Pb alloy < tin-based white metal < leaded bronze. The surface damage, which is caused by the joint action of cavitation erosion and wear, was also investigated by rubbing the eroded surfaces which had been exposed to cavitation erosion for various times. This damage becomes larger with increasing cavitation damage. The resistance to this damage differs much more in the four alloys tested and tends to correlate with the results of the erosion tests rather than those of the wear tests. Therefore, it is clear that the cavitation erosion resistance should be considered in the selection of bearing materials.     

Influence of graphite content on the dry sliding and oil impregnated sliding wear behavior of Al 2024–graphite composites produced by in situ powder metallurgy method

The influence of graphite content on the dry sliding and oil impregnated sliding wear characteristics of sintered aluminum 2024 alloy–graphite (Al/Gr) composite materials has been assessed using a pin-on-disc wear test. The composites with 5–20 wt.% flake graphite particles were processed by in situ powder metallurgy technique. For comparison, compacts of the base alloy were made under the same consolidation processing applied for Al/Gr composites. The hardness of the sintered materials was measured using Brinell hardness tester and their bending strength was measured by three-point bending tests. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze the debris, wear surfaces and fracture surfaces of samples. It was found that an increase in graphite content reduced the coefficient of friction for both dry and oil impregnated sliding, but this effect was more pronounced in dry sliding. Hardness and fracture toughness of composites decreased with increasing graphite content. In dry sliding, a marked transition from mild to severe wear was identified for the base alloy and composites. The transition load increased with graphite content due to the increased amount of released graphite detected on the wear surfaces. The wear rates for both dry and oil impregnated sliding were dependent upon graphite content in the alloy. In both cases, Al/Gr composites containing 5 wt.% graphite exhibited superior wear properties over the base alloy, whereas at higher graphite addition levels a complete reversal in the wear behavior was observed. The wear rate of the oil impregnated Al/Gr composites containing 10 wt.% or more graphite particles were higher than that of the base alloy. These observations were rationalized in terms of the graphite content in the Al/Gr composites which resulted in the variations of the mechanical properties together with formation and retention of the solid lubricating film on the dry and/or oil impregnated sliding surfaces.     

Effect of amount of antimony on sliding wear resistance of white metal

Sliding wear tests were performed under lubricant oil using different white metals with various amounts of antimony (Sb) ranging from 5 to 23 wt% in order to study the effect of amount of antimony on the sliding wear resistance of the white metals. The results showed that the sliding wear resistance is not affected by the amount of antimony within a range 5–18 wt%, however the resistance is lowered at the higher amount of antimony, i.e., Sb>18 wt%. The amounts of wear of the white metals were analyzed by the wear constitutive law, which was proposed by Ishihara et al. The sliding wear lives for the different amounts of wear were successfully estimated using the above constitutive law. The estimated results showed good agreement with the experimental ones. A SEM study (Scanning Electron Microscope) and an EPMA study (Electron Probe Micro Analyzer) were also performed to study the effects of amount of Sb on the sliding wear surfaces of the specimen during the sliding wear process of the white metals.     

Assessment and application of TiB2 coating in sliding pair under lubrication conditions

The aim of the present work is to determine the influence of TiB₂ coating on the friction parameters in sliding pairs under lubricated friction conditions. The TiB₂ coating deposited on modified surface layers of ring specimens made of AISI 5045 steel was matched under test conditions with counterparts made from SAE-783 and SAE-48 bearing alloys. Tested sliding pairs were lubricated with 5 W/40 Lotos synthetic engine oil. Tribological properties of the TiB₂ coating were measured using a block-on-ring tribometer. The applied modification technology of the surface layer of steel allowed for obtaining construction material with pre-determined tribological characteristics required for the elements of sliding pairs in lubricated contact. The results showed differences in the wear of bearing alloys, as a result of the interaction between co-operating surface layers and of the physiochemical changes of their surfaces, induced by external forces. Friction resistance and temperature in the friction area in the pair with TiB₂ coating and the SAE-783 bearing alloy are considerably higher than in the pair with the SAE-48 bearing alloy. The SAE-48 bearing alloy is subjected to more intensive wear processes in contact with the TiB₂ coating than the SAE-783 bearing alloy.     

Wear Behavior of Al-Si Alloy Impregnated Graphite Composite

Pin-on-disk type unidirectional sliding wear experiments for an Al-Si alloy impregnated graphite composite (pin) in contact with a bearing steel (disk) were conducted at various contact loads in wet and dry air to investigate the wear behaviors in detail. The pin-lifting phenomena of the composite as observed. The height was constant at lower loads and increased with load. The entrance of wear particles into the contacting surfaces brought about the pin lifting. Mixtures of graphite powder and wear particles adhered to the sliding surface of the bearing steel, resulting in the formation of wide, compacted surface films. The mean thickness of the films increased with load to a few micrometers. The composite exhibited better wear resistance than the matrices in wet air and the wear rate decreased especially at high loads. The wide, compacted films together with the pin-lifting phenomena prevent metal-to-metal contact, achieving a good anti-wear condition. On the other hand, the surface films that adhere in a scaled fashion in dry air have little wear reduction effect.     

Wear and tribocorrosion behaviour of 304L stainless steel welds

The influence of the microstructures of the base metal and weld metals on the wear and tribocorrosion properties of 304L stainless steel (SS) welds prepared by Manual Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (M-GTAW) and Activated Flux Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (A-GTAW) processes are reported. Increase in sliding speed increased both friction forces as well as wear rate. Higher hardness in M-GTAW weld metal resulted in increased wear resistance than A-GTAW weld metal and base metal. The inferior wear resistance of the base metal was due to the strain hardening behaviour under sliding condition. The polarization curves showed increase in passive current density under sliding condition. The applied potential was found to influence the tribocorrosion resistance of the material. Under tribocorrosion condition, the total material loss was higher in base metal followed by A-GTAW weld metal and M-GTAW weld metal. Characterization of worn surface by SEM indicated a mixed wear mechanism of abrasive and adhesive wear. The worn surface appeared relatively smoother in nitric acid medium than in dry condition. The influence of microstructure affecting the hardness, wear and tribocorrosion resistance of the base metal and weld metals of 304L SS is discussed.     

An in vitro study of the reduction in wear of metal-on-metal hip prostheses using surface-engineered femoral heads

Although the wear of existing metal-on-metal (MOM) hip prostheses (1 mm3/10(6) cycles) is much lower than the more widely used polyethylene-on-metal bearings, there are concerns about the toxicity of metal wear particles and elevated metal ion levels, both locally and systemically, in the human body. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of reducing the volume of wear, the concentration of metal debris and the level of metal ion release through using surface-engineered femoral heads. Three thick (8-12 microm) coatings (TiN, CrN and CrCN) and one thin (2 microm) coating (diamond-like carbon, DLC), were evaluated on the femoral heads when articulating against high carbon content cobalt-chromium alloy acetabular inserts (HC CoCrMo) and compared with a clinically used MOM cobalt-chromium alloy bearing couple using a physiological anatomical hip joint simulator (Leeds Mark II). This study showed that CrN, CrCN and DLC coatings produced substantially lower wear volumes for both the coated femoral heads and the HC CoCrMo inserts. The TiN coating itself had little wear, but it caused relatively high wear of the HC CoCrMo inserts compared with the other coatings. The majority of the wear debris for all half-coated couples comprised small, 30 nm or less, CoCrMo metal particles. The Co, Cr and Mo ion concentrations released from the bearing couples of CrN-, CrCN- and DLC-coated heads articulating against HC CoCrMo inserts were at least 7 times lower than those released from the clinical MOM prostheses. These surface-engineered femoral heads articulating on HC CoCrMo acetabular inserts produced significantly lower wear volumes and rates, and hence lower volumetric concentrations of wear particles, compared with the clinical MOM prosthesis. The substantially lower ion concentration released by these surface-engineered components provides important evidence to support the clinical application of this technology.     

Tribological characteristics of magnesium alloy using N-containing compounds as lubricating additives during sliding

The tribological characteristics of a magnesium alloy, AZ91D, were investigated in a sliding lubricating system using various N-containing compounds as lubricating additives on a Timken type tester against a bearing steel (AISI52100) ring. Results indicated that a significant improvement in the tribological performance exists using N-containing compounds as additives. The characteristics of anti-wear, anti friction and load-carrying capacity increased with an increase in the number of amidogen groups in amine molecules. Antiwear and antifriction characteristics were also observed with an increase in the length of the carbon chain in amide compounds. The amide showed a much better performance than the amine in terms of the tribological characteristics of the magnesium alloy. Electromicroscopy revealed that mild abrasive wear was a predominant wear mechanism of the magnesium alloy using an amine (or amide) additive; while the dominant wear mechanism was severe abrasive wear with severe material deformation using only base oil. Analysis showed the formation of a boundary film on the magnesium alloy. XPS analysis suggested the occurrence of tribo-chemical reactions between Mg and N-containing compounds with the formation of a chemically stable complex of magnesium and amine (or amide), as well as the formation of friction polymer.     

Improvement in tribological performances of magnesium alloy using amide compounds as lubricating additives during sliding

The tribological characteristics of a magnesium alloy, AZ91D (die-casting), are investigated in a sliding lubricating system using various amide compounds as lubricating additives on a Timken type tester against a bearing steel (AISI52100) ring. Results indicate that a significant improvement in the tribological performance exists using the amide compounds as additives. The number of amido group (–CONH₂) in additive molecules and the molecular structure of amide compounds have significant effect on the tribological characteristics of magnesium alloy. Electromicroscopy reveals that the mild abrasive wear is a predominant wear mechanism of magnesium alloy using an amide additive while the dominated wear mechanism is a severe abrasive wear with severe material deformation using only base oil. Observation shows the formation of boundary film on the magnesium alloy. XPS analysis suggests the occurrence of tribo-chemical reactions between Mg and amide compounds with the formation of chemically stable compound (or complex) of magnesium and amide, as well as the formation of friction polymer.     

载荷与滑动速度对铜合金磨损的影响

对热型连续定向凝固工艺生产的Cu-0．1Ag合金进行干滑动摩擦磨损实验并将该材料与耐磨性较好的单晶铜进行对比实验。分析讨论载荷、滑动速度等因素对该材料磨损率及磨损表面的影响。实验结果表明：滑动距离、滑动速度对铜合金的磨损有较大影响,而且铜合金的抗磨性能明显优于耐磨性较好的单晶铜。     

Reciprocating Sliding Wear Behavior of 60NiTi As Compared to 440C Steel under Lubricated and Unlubricated Conditions

ABSTRACT

60NiTi is a hard (～60 HRC) and highly corrosion-resistant intermetallic with a relatively low elastic modulus (～100 GPa). In addition, this alloy exhibits a high compressive strength (～2,500 MPa) and a high elastic compressive strain of over 5%. These attributes make this alloy an attractive candidate to be employed in structural and mechanical component applications. However, sliding wear behavior of this intermetallic has not yet been studied in a systematic way. In this study, lubricated and unlubricated reciprocating sliding wear behavior of 60NiTi is compared to 440 C steel as a conventional bearing and wear-resistant alloy. Results of experiments carried out under different loads show that 60NiTi, despite having a higher hardness, exhibits a significantly inferior wear behavior under dry conditions in comparison to 440 C steel. These unexpected results indicate that 60NiTi does not follow conventional wear theories where the wear of materials has an inverse relationship to their hardness. On the other hand, under lubricated conditions with castor oil and a synthetic gear oil, 60NiTi exhibits low specific wear rates. These results exhibit the importance of proper lubrication in sliding mode applications where 60NiTi is exploited as a wear-resistant alloy.     

Effect of Deaeration and Controlled Environments on the Performance of Lubricants

The effect of oxygen in lubricants on the wear of camshaft lobes and followers was investigated under air and either argon or nitrogen environments. The motored valve train wear tester was used as a wear tester. White oil, white oil containing Zinc Dithiophosphate (ZDP), and REO 200 were used as lubricants. Hydroperoxide was used as a contaminant for the tests conducted with REO 200.

The results showed that the wear of camshaft lobes and cam followers decreased after deaeration. The tests conducted under argon showed a further decrease in wear. The specimens tested with white oil and white oil with ZDP were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The operation of abrasive wear and oxidational wear was observed. A decrease in the hydroperoxide number under argon atmospheres was observed.     

黄铜全流量在线磨粒静电监测实验研究

为深入了解静电监测方法对黄铜的监测能力,采用自制的全流量在线磨粒静电传感器开展黄铜的静电监测方法研究。研究了润滑条件下轴承钢-黄铜滑动摩擦荷电磨粒的产生机理并设计了磨粒静电监测系统,开展了三种尺寸的轴承钢球和黄铜球的单颗粒注入实验、双颗粒注入实验以及相同载荷、不同滑动速度的轴承钢-黄铜滑动摩擦磨损实验,对摩擦因数、静电感应信号、静电信号均方根值进行相关性分析。研究结果表明:全流量在线磨粒静电传感器具有较好的检测一致性;静电监测方法对黄铜的监测能力强于对轴承钢的监测能力;摩擦因数与静电监测信号具有相关性,在磨损阶段,静电感应信号出现脉冲尖峰与持续上升。     

Effect of Normal Load and Sliding Distance on the Wear Behavior of NiTi Alloy

Effect of normal load and sliding distance on the room temperature dry sliding wear behavior of a Ti-50.3 at% Ni alloy against a bearing steel was studied. The wear tests were conducted using a pin-on-disk tribometer under normal loads of 20, 40, 50, 60 and 80 N for sliding distances up to 1000 m. The wear results showed that the wear rate of NiTi alloy decreased as the normal load increased from 40 N to 60 N. Formation of iron rich tribological oxide layers under the higher loads could be the main reason of decrease in the wear of NiTi alloy. Increasing the sliding distance decreased the wear rate of NiTi alloy under normal loads of 60 N and 80 N, which was attributed to the formation of more stable iron rich tribological oxide layers on the worn surfaces of NiTi alloy.     

Friction and wear properties of duplex MAO/CrN coatings sliding against Si3N4 ceramic balls in air, water and oil

It is evident that the micro-arc oxidation (MAO) ceramic coatings often exhibit relatively high friction coefficients as sliding against many mating materials. To reduce the friction coefficient for the MAO coatings, the duplex MAO/CrN coatings were deposited on 2024Al alloy using combined micro-arc oxidation and reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The microstructure and phase of the duplex coatings were observed and determined using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The friction and wear behaviors of the duplex coatings sliding against Si₃N₄ balls in air, water and oil were investigated using a ball-on-disk tribometer. The wear rate of the duplex coating was determined by non-contact optical profilometer and the wear tracks on the duplex coatings were observed by SEM. The results showed the CrN coatings mainly consisted of Cr, CrN and Cr₂N phases. The duplex coatings/Si₃N₄ tribopair exhibited the highest friction coefficient in air, while displayed the lowest friction coefficient in oil. When the normal load and the sliding speed increased, the friction coefficient in air increased from 0.65 to 0.72, whereas decreased from 0.58 to 0.36 in water and 0.20 to 0.08 in oil. The specific wear rates for the duplex coatings in air were higher than those in oil. In comparison to the MAO coatings, the duplex MAO/CrN coatings displayed excellent tribological properties under the same conditions.     

An examination of friction and sliding wear properties of Zn–40Al–2Cu–2Si alloy in case of oil cut off

In this work, four ingots of Zn–40Al–2Cu–2Si alloy were produced by permanent mould casting. Two of the ingots were subjected to quench-ageing treatment. After examining the microstructure and some mechanical properties of the alloy in both as-cast and heat treated conditions, its friction and wear behaviour were investigated over a range of pressure and sliding speed using a conforming block-on-ring type machine without oil supply which corresponds to “oil cut off”.It was observed that the heat treatment increased the hardness and tensile strength of the alloy. It was also observed that in the case of oil cut off the friction coefficient of the alloy decreased with increasing pressure up to approximately 3 MPa above which the trend reversed. However, the friction coefficient increased with increasing sliding speed after showing a small decrease with it, and the temperature of the wear sample increased with both pressure and sliding speed. It was shown that the wear loss of the alloy increased exponentially with pressure, but linearly with sliding speed. However, the increase in wear loss with sliding speed became exponential at pressures above 4 MPa.As a result of this work, it was concluded that the quench-ageing treatment does not increase only the hardness and tensile strength of Zn–40Al–2Cu–2Si alloy but also its wear resistance during running without oil supply.     

沙尘环境对金属抗磨损特性的影响

通过向摩擦副所在隔离空间内鼓沙的方式实现对自然沙尘环境的模拟。在沙尘环境和干摩擦情况下,对比研究了随着载荷的增加,沙尘环境的存在对C52100铜、2124铝、AISI-1045钢、Z25铸铁、AISI-52100钢5种不同硬度的典型金属抗磨损行为的影响。结果表明,在沙尘条件下,5种金属的磨损率随载荷的变化呈现一定的变化规律,C52100铜和52100钢的磨损率均随载荷的增加而减小,2124铝和Z25铸铁的磨损率随载荷的增加而增大,而1045钢的磨损率则先增大后减小,但磨损率随载荷变化非常小。沙尘的存在使52100钢、1045钢和Z25铸铁的磨损率比干摩擦条件下有大幅度的减小,但是却加剧了2124铝在较高载荷下的磨损,这说明对不同的材料而言,沙尘所起的作用是不同的,它可能会加剧材料的磨损,但也有可能提高材料的抗磨损性能。     

The influence of alumina particle dispersion and test parameters on dry sliding wear behaviour of zinc-based alloy

The present investigation deals with dry sliding wear characteristics of a zinc-based alloy (ZA 37) with and without Al₂O₃ particle dispersion over a range of sliding speeds and applied pressures. The matrix alloy has been examined under identical test conditions in order to examine the role played by the second phase alumina particles on wear behaviour. The observed wear behaviour of the samples has been explained in terms of specific characteristics like cracking tendency, lubricating, load bearing and deformability characteristics, and thermal stability of various microconstituents. The nature of predominance of one set of parameters (causing higher wear rate) over the other (producing a reverse effect) was thought to actually control the wear behaviour. Examinations of the characteristic of wear surfaces and subsurface regions also enabled to understand the operating wear mechanism and to substantiate the wear behaviour.At low sliding speed, significantly lower wear rate of the matrix alloy over that of the composite was noticed. This has been attributed to increased microcracking tendency of the composite than the matrix alloy. Reduced wear rate and higher seizure pressure experienced by the composite over that of the matrix alloy at the higher sliding speeds could be explained to be due to enhanced compatibility of matrix alloy with dispersoid phase and greater thermal stability of the composite in view of the presence of the dispersoid. The maximum temperature rise due to frictional heating has been observed to be low in the case of matrix alloy than composite at low speed while the trend reversed at higher speeds. In general, the wear rate and temperature increased with applied pressure and speed. Seizure pressure reduced with increasing speed while the seizure resistance (pressure) of the matrix alloy was more adversely affected by speed than that of the composite.     

The transition from severe to mild sliding wear for Fe-12%Cr-base alloys at low temperatures

A study of the friction and wear behaviour of two commercial Fe-12%Cr-base alloys Jethete M152 and Rex 535 during like-on-like reciprocating sliding in air at ambient temperatures up to 200 °C has been carried out. As expected from practical experience, the overall wear resistance of Rex 535 is superior to that of Jethete M152. In all cases, the wear processes are characterized by an initial period of primary severe wear with associated high, but irregular, coefficients of friction, followed by a transition to a steady state period of secondary mild wear with associated reduced and steady friction values. The time of this transition is load independent and decreases with increasing ambient temperature but occurs more rapidly for Rex 535 than for Jethete M152, which accounts entirely for the former's superior overall wear performance. The wear rate during sliding in the primary severe wear period is independent of alloy, of applied load and, possibly, of temperature while the secondary wear rate is independent of alloy but is dependent on temperature, although not in a regular manner. The transition from severe to mild wear can be correlated with the generation and comminution of metal wear debris particles during the severe wear period until the particles are small enough for substantial oxidation of the exposed surfaces to take place at the ambient temperature of sliding. The subsequent temperature dependence of the secondary mild wear rate is probably related to changes in the adhesive properties of this tribogenerated wear debris. The faster transition from severe to mild wear for Rex 535 compared with that for Jethete M152 is associated with easier comminution of the metal wear particles of Rex 535 owing to their lower ductility. Hence the significance of oxidation of the debris surfaces becomes important at an earlier stage in the sliding process.