Subsurface deformation and damage accumulation in aluminum–silicon alloys subjected to sliding contact

The study of plastic deformation and damage accumulation below the contact surfaces is important in order to understand the dry sliding wear behaviour of aluminum alloys. Experimental evidence exists for the nucleation of voids and microcracks around second phase particles in the material layers adjacent to the contact surface. Propagation of these cracks at a certain depth below the surface may lead to the creation of long, thin plate-like wear debris particles. This work studied the deformation processes during sliding wear by means of metallographic observations of subsurface layers in an Al–7% Si (A356 Al) alloy and by finite element analyses. Specifically, the accumulation of subsurface stresses and strains was investigated, using a coupled structural-thermal finite element model based on the Voce-type exponential stress–strain relationship obtained from the sliding wear tests. Additionally, temperature and strain rate effects were taken into account using a constitutive equation based on Johnson–Cook and Cowper–Symonds models.Accordingly during sliding, the flow stress in subsurface layers increased rapidly and reached a saturation stress after a finite number of sliding contacts. The variation of hydrostatic pressure for different loading conditions was also determined as a function of sliding passes: as the sliding process progressed from the first to the seventh contacts, the hydrostatic pressure at the surface increased from 1150 to 1300 MPa. A total temperature increase of 45 K occurred at the surface after the seventh sliding contact. A debris formation model was proposed in which the presence of a maximum damage gradient at critical depth was considered. The model showed that, with a sliding velocity of 10 m/s, and a normal load of 150 N per unit thickness in mm, the material location where the maximum rate of damage occurred corresponded to a normalized depth (depth/counterface diameter) of 0.060. Increasing the load to 250 N/mm caused an increase in the critical depth of damage (a normalized depth of 0.085). Comparisons with the experimental subsurface crack observations indicate that the proposed damage rate calculations provide a good estimation of the subsurface crack propagation depth.     

Novel method of measuring tappet rotation and the effect of lubricant rheology

One of the main drivers for developing lubricant technology is engine durability. Researchers and scientists are using new technologies, materials and advanced lubricant formulations to reduce overall engine friction and wear. One of the main engine tribological components is the valve train. This is one of the most challenging components to lubricate effectively because of the higher contact loadings and accounts for 10–20% of the total engine friction loss. The two main factors affecting the performance of engine valve trains are wear and friction, and a wide range of mechanical configurations are used to improve these. For example, direct-acting overhead camshaft valve train configurations use a rotating tappet design. Normally, the tappet is slightly offset from the cams and the cam is slightly conical to match the domed tappet to facilitate tappet rotation for even wear and to reduce slippage. In this paper, a novel innovative technique has been described to monitor tappet rotation in a real production engine having a direct overhead cam–tappet arrangement. The monitoring technique was applied to a VW Tdi engine head, and tests were carried out under different operating conditions. Lubricant compositions, oil temperature, pressure and camshaft speeds on tappet rotation were measured and all are shown to have an effect. The balance of forces between the cam–tappet and tappet-bore was found to be interlinked and the design of the hydraulic lash adjuster had a significant effect.This unique tappet rotation monitoring system can be used on most of the direct overhead camshaft engines, with minor engine modifications, to measure lubricant and hardware effects under both motored and fired conditions.     

Friction and wear properties of bronze–graphite composite under water lubrication

Bronze–graphite composite was prepared using powder metallurgy. The friction and wear behaviors of the resulting composites in dry- and water-lubricated sliding against a stainless steel were comparatively investigated on an MM-200 friction and wear tester in a ring-on-block contact configuration. The wear mechanisms of the bronze–graphite composite were discussed based on examination of the worn surface morphologies of both the composite block and the stainless steel ring by means of scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy dispersion spectrometry and on determination of some typical elements on the worn surfaces by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was found that the friction coefficient was higher under water lubrication than that under dry sliding and it showed margined change with increasing load under the both sliding conditions. A considerably decreased wear rate of the bronze–graphite composite was registered under water-lubricated sliding than under dry sliding, though it rose significantly at a relatively higher load. This was attributed to the hindered transfer of the composite onto the counterpart steel surface under water-lubricated sliding and the cooling effect of the water as a lubricant, while its stronger transfer onto the steel surface accounted for its higher wear rate under dry sliding. Thus, the bronze–graphite composite with much better wear-resistance under water-lubricated sliding than under dry sliding against the stainless steel could be a potential candidate as the tribo-material in aqueous environment.     

Thermomechanical analysis of elastoplastic medium in sliding contact with fractal surface

The effects of mechanical and thermal surface loadings on deformation of elastic–plastic semi-infinite medium were analyzed simultaneously by using the finite element method. Rigid rough surface of a magnetic head and smooth surface of an elastic–plastic hard disk were chosen to perform a comprehensive thermo-elastic–plastic contact analysis at the head–disk interface (HDI). A two-dimensional finite element model of a rigid rough surface characterized by fractal geometry sliding over an elastic–plastic medium was then developed. The evolution of deformation in the semi-infinite medium due to thermomechanical surface loading is interpreted in terms of temperature, von Mises equivalent stress, and equivalent plastic strain. In addition to this, the effects of friction coefficient, sliding, and interference distance on deformation behavior were also analyzed. It is shown that frictional heating increases not only the contact area but also the contact pressure and stresses.     

Effects of sliding velocity and applied load on the tribological mechanism of amorphous poly-ether–ether–ketone (PEEK)

In this work, the effects of sliding velocity and applied load on the tribological characteristics, i.e. friction coefficient and wear rate, of an amorphous poly-ether–ether–ketone (PEEK) coating was examined. Friction tests were performed on a ball-on-disc apparatus. Based on analyses of the worn tracks, a comprehensive attempt is made to approach the tribological mechanism of amorphous PEEK. A hypothesis is proposed that the tribological behaviour of the amorphous PEEK is closely related to its viscoelastic behaviour. The sliding velocity plays significant roles on the tribological characteristics by influencing the interface temperature and strain rate of the PEEK surface layer involved in the friction process. The applied load influences the tribological performance by varying the strain range in the surface layer.     

Different degree of reduction and sliding phenomenon study for three-dimensional hot rolling with sandwich flat strip

Symmetric rolling of 3D sandwich flat strips with thermal-elastic–plastic coupled model was studied under the assumption of an elastic roller and the condideration of heat transfer. Aluminum–copper sandwich flat strips were used in this study.The numerical model of symmetric rolling for 3D sandwich flat strip with thermal-elastic–plastic coupled model was developed based on the large deformation–large strain theory, the update Lagrangian formulation and the incremental principle. Besides, flow stress was considered as the function of strain, strain rate and temperature. The theoretical model of finite element method containing the two-order strain rate formulation acted as the basis for determining the convergence of simulation results.The contact surface between the aluminum and copper for the sandwich flat strip was also discussed. First of all, the contact face between the aluminum and copper was assumed that it would be fixed without sliding. Symmetric hot rolling of the aluminum and copper sandwich flat strip was analyzed. A slide criterion was then introduced to study the shear stress states of the contact face between aluminum and copper of sandwich strip, which was used to compare the relation between the maximum shear stress and the yielding shear stress on the contact face. If the maximum shear stress of aluminum or copper is smaller than the yielding stress of aluminum or copper respectively, sliding does not occur on the contact face. On the contrary, the sliding may occur on the contact face between aluminum and copper.Three different degrees of reduction were simulated in this study to analyze the states of shear stress on the upper aluminum strip and lower copper strip close to the contact face. Finally, it finds that the sliding on the contact face between aluminum and copper may occur around certain degree of reduction. The average rolling force of the simulation result was compared with experimental data [8] to verify the simulation results.     

Dry sliding wear behaviour of cast high strength aluminium alloy (Al–Zn–Mg) and hard particle composites

This paper describes the results of dry sliding wear tests of aluminium alloy (Al–Zn–Mg) and aluminium (Al–Zn–Mg)–10, 15 and 25 wt.% SiCp composite was examined under varying applied pressure (0.2 to 2.0 MPa) at a fixed sliding speed of 3.35 m/s. The sliding wear behaviour was studied using pin-on-disc apparatus against EN32 steel counter surface, giving emphasis on the parameters such as coefficient of friction, rise in temperature, wear and seizure resistance as a function of sliding distance and applied pressure. It was observed that the wear rate of the alloy was noted to be significantly higher than that of the composite and is suppressed further due to addition of silicon carbide particles. The temperature rise near the contacting surfaces and the coefficient of friction followed reversed trend. Detailed studies of wear surfaces and subsurface deformation have been carried out. The wear mechanism was studied through worn surfaces and microscopic examination of the developed wear tracks. The wear mechanism strongly dictated by the formation and stability of oxide layer, mechanically mixed layer (MML) and subsurface deformation and cracking. The overall results indicate that the aluminium alloy–silicon carbide particle composite could be considered as an excellent material where high strength and wear resistance are of prime importance.     

Tribological properties of flame sprayed Fe–Ni–RE alloy coatings under reciprocating sliding

Fe–Ni–RE self-fluxing alloy powders were flame sprayed onto 1045 carbon steel. The tribological properties of Fe–Ni–RE alloy coatings under dry sliding against SAE52100 steel at ambient conditions were studied on an Optimol SRV oscillating friction and wear tester in a ball-on-disc contact configuration. Effects of load and sliding speed on tribological properties of the Fe–Ni–RE coatings were investigated. The worn surfaces of the Fe–Ni–RE alloy coatings were examined with a scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and an energy-dispersive spectroscopy(EDS). It was found that the Fe–Ni–RE alloy coatings had better wear resistance than the SAE52100 steel. An adhered oxide debris layer was formed on the worn surface in friction. Area of the friction layer varied with variety of sliding speed, but did not vary with load. The oxide layer contributed to decreased wear, but increased friction. Wear rate of the material increased with the load, but dramatically decreased at first and then slightly decreased the sliding speed. The friction coefficient of the material was 0.40-0.58, and decreased slightly with the load, but increased with sliding speed at first, and then tended to be a constant value. Wear mechanism of the coatings was oxidation wear and a large amount of counterpart material was transferred to the coatings.     

Limit transmissible torque in the traction drive of a concave and convex roller pair

This paper presents a study on the limit transmissible torque in the traction drive of a concave–convex roller pair. The transmitted torque, the specific sliding, the roller surface temperature and the oil film formation under different contact pressures and roller speeds were simultaneously measured by carrying out a concave–convex roller test. The effect of the lubricant on the limit transmissible torque of the concave–convex roller pair was investigated. Furthermore, the experimental results were compared with theoretical ones based on the thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication theory, which takes account of the effects of viscous heating and Eyring viscosity. Close agreement between the theoretical and experimental results was obtained.     

Surface uplift and wear implications of zirconia toughened ceramics

Zirconia ceramics have shown promising wear properties in a number of applications. However, in certain load configurations the wear performance is very poor. The reason for this is believed to be subsurface phase transformation. The surface uplift due to transformation of a circular inclusion in a half-plane and of a spherical inclusion in a half-space is analyzed. The general uniform transformation strain has significant effects on the surface topography and has ramifications for the rolling/sliding wear characteristics of the surface. The two-dimensional approximation overestimates the surface uplift by up to three times compared with the more realistic three-dimensional model. The results indicate that the occurrence of transformation strains, and in particular shear transformation strain, in the near surface area will affect the surface topography considerably.     

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.     

Analysis of tape spring hinges

In this paper, the performance of four different tape spring hinges are studied. The tape spring hinges consist of pairs of short-length hardened-steel tape springs side by side but mounted in different ways, and can be used to fold and deploy structural elements on spacecraft. Behaviour of a tape spring subject to two- and three-dimensional folds is investigated by both analytical and non-linear finite element methods. The moment–rotation profiles of the hinges are obtained experimentally. It is observed that two hinge configurations yield negative moments in their moment–rotation profiles during deployment. The results of finite element analysis are compared with the experimental measurements, and are in good agreement.     

Delamination wear of metal injection moulded 316L stainless steel

The wear behavior of metal injection moulded (MIM) stainless steels was studied using a pin-on-disc apparatus under dry sliding conditions. Pin specimens were MIM 316L stainless steel, while disc specimens were wrought 316L stainless steel. At low sliding speeds (0.2–0.6 m/s), the wear rates gradually decreased with increasing sliding speed, but then increased at high sliding speeds (0.6–2 m/s). The adhesive-induced delamination wear dominated at low sliding speeds, while abrasive-induced delamination wear dominated at high sliding speeds. At low sliding speeds, the surface densification occurred on the worn surface of pin specimens, hence no difference was found between the wear resistances of MIM pins containing 2% and 6% porosity. In contrast, the abrasive-induced delamination wear at high sliding speeds was enhanced by porosity; therefore the wear rates of MIM pins containing 6% porosity were higher than those of MIM pins containing 2% porosity.     

Preliminary investigation of the effect of roughness in Dynarat simulation

Surface roughness has a significant effect on how loads are transmitted at the contact interface between solid bodies. It causes high local pressures in the contacting roughness peaks, i.e., asperities. Even for a low friction coefficient the surface roughness will still play an important role in the early surface wear. A dynamic ratcheting model (Dynarat) for studying the wear rate of ductile materials in rolling/sliding contact is presented. The material is divided into equal-sized rectangular elements (or ‘bricks’). Each material brick accumulates plastic shear strain when the orthogonal shear stress exceeds the brick's shear yield stress. When the accumulated plastic strain exceeds a critical value, the ductility is exhausted and the material is deemed to have failed. Inclusion of surface roughness and refinement of the near-surface brick size cause earlier failure of bricks very close to the surface. In order to model surface roughness, brick size needs to be reduced to, at most, a few microns. The purpose of this investigation is to study the effect of surface roughness in the Dynarat model by comparing the model prediction with the results from two different rolling sliding wear testing machines. Further development of the model is needed, such as more inclusive representations of microstructural behaviour. In addition to that, the ratcheting equation, which drives the Dynarat model, needs to be improved to cover other rail materials and more loading configurations.     

Numerical simulation of slider dynamics during slider–disk contact

In this paper, the dynamic behavior of pico slider in contact with the disk was calculated. The analysis model consists of a simplified suspension model, an air bearing model, and a slider–disk contact model. The contact model consists of two elements. One is surface roughness model measured by Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and the other is micro-waviness model. The dynamic behaviors of the tri-pad slider are calculated at several rotation speeds to investigate slider vibration modes during slider–disk contact. The slider oscillation frequency depends on the rotation speed and it saturates about twice as much as eigen frequency of air bearing pitch mode.     

Contact mechanics and the wear of metals

It is commonly observed that metallic wear debris takes the form of thin platelets, leading to the term ‘delamination wear’. Modelling this phenomenon has proved a stiff challenge in Contact Mechanics since the fractures which give rise to wear particles lie parallel, or nearly so, to the surface; i.e. on planes of maximum compressive stress. Sectioning the surface layer beneath a wear track has revealed it to have acquired severe plastic strains, which suggests that the cracks are ductile fractures, driven by plastic strain rather than elastic stress intensity. The paper reviews recent research into the progressive plastic deformation of surfaces in repeated sliding: the process known as ‘ratchetting’. Included is an analysis of ‘running-in’ of rough surfaces by repeated sliding and a discussion of the criterion of rupture under cyclic plastic strain.     

Sliding wear behaviour of Zinc–Nickel alloy electrodeposits

The sliding wear behaviour of zinc–nickel electrodeposited coatings on mild steel substrates was investigated using a spherical pin-on-disc apparatus. The pin materials were alumina and hardened steel. The composition of the coatings was the following: 86 wt% zinc–14 wt% nickel. The friction coefficient of zinc–nickel coating against alumina counter spheres was found to be higher than that against hardened steel counter spheres. The weight loss of zinc–nickel coating after sliding against hardened steel counter spheres was found to be lower than that against alumina counter spheres. The main wear mechanism of the zinc–nickel coating sliding against stainless steel was noted to be severe shearing of the surface layers of the coating due to the ploughing action of the steel pins. For the wear experiments of zinc–nickel coatings against alumina spheres, a surface delamination mechanism is proposed to be the predominant wear mechanism of the coatings.     

Stick–slip friction in dissimilar polymer pairs used in automobile interiors

The static and dynamic friction of dissimilar pairs of plastics used in automotive interiors was measured as a function of normal load, system stiffness, and surface roughness. Glass fiber filled polypropylene (FPP) was slid on polycarbonate (PC) and glass fiber filled styrene–maleic–anhydride copolymer (SMAC) in a single pass, unidirectional sliding test. The friction was characterized by the value of static coefficient of friction (COF) and the number of stick–slip cycles during sliding. It was found that the FPP/PC and FPP/SMAC pairs had fewer instances of stick slip than FPP/FPP, PC/PC, and SMAC/SMAC pairs except for one of the SMAC polymers. The surface texture which had the smallest average radius of peak curvature, had the lowest value of static COF. The decrease in the static COF of polypropylene (PP) caused by the addition of glass fiber was most likely caused by the increase in elastic modulus and hardness.     

Measurements of plastic strain in copper due to sliding wear

Wear experiments have been conducted to determine the plastic strains that are introduced in surface material near sliding wear tracks. Both oillubricated and dry-sliding experiments have been carried out at different sliding distances on surfaces of copper. The strain values were determined from selected-area electron channelling patterns obtained from regions as small as 10 μm in size and 0.05 μm deep around the wear track using a scanning electron microscope. A deformed calibration specimen was used to relate the electron channelling band contrast to the deformation strain. Strain maps were obtained on the wear surface lateral to the wear track and also below the surface using electropolishing metal removal techniques. Particular attention was given to the near-surface strain values. In all cases the maximum strain was found at the wear surface located at the track center and the strains decreased uniformly with depth. Significant large strains were also found outside the wear tracks. The results are compared with those previously reported for iron and with other relevant studies.     

Experimental investigation into squeal under reciprocating sliding

Experiments on squeal under reciprocating sliding were performed by means of a ball against a block. Vibration accelerations, sound pressure level of squeal and tangential force were measured simultaneously. Under certain test conditions, the reciprocating sliding can create a whole process from squeal generation to disappearance. Based on power spectral density (PSD) and short-time Fourier transform (STFT) analyses on the vibration accelerations in that process, it was found that the dominant frequencies of the friction-induced vibrations associated with squeal is not varied. Examination of the friction–velocity slope shows that there is no invariable correlation between the negative friction–velocity slope and occurrence of squeal. Squeal can occur in regions with both negative and positive friction–velocity slopes.