Dry sliding wear behaviors of La2O3–WSi2–MoSi2 composite against alloy steel

A molybdenum disilicide (MoSi₂) matrix composite with the addition of WSi₂ and La₂O₃ (RWM) was fabricated as a wear resistant material by self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) and hot pressing (HP). This composite was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The wear resistance of MoSi₂ against steel is significantly improved by the addition of both WSi₂ and La₂O₃, and it is attributed to the increase in hardness and toughness of the composite. It is found that the wear behavior of the RWM is sensitive to sliding speed, load and hardness of the counter-face material. When worn against a steel with a lower hardness (A), the wear rate of RWM increases with an increase of sliding speed, and increases initially and then decreases with an increase of load. The material removal mechanisms varied from ploughing wear at low load and speed to serious adhesive wear at high load and speed. When worn against a steel with a higher hardness (B), the wear resistance of the RWM improved and the material removal mechanism were brittle fracture wear at low speed and adhesive wear at high speed.     

Wear properties of two-phase Al2O3/ZrO2 (Y2O3) ceramics at temperatures from 296 to 1073 K

Reciprocating sliding friction experiments were conducted with various two-phase, directionally solidified Al₂O₃/ZrO₂ (Y₂O₃) pins sliding on B₄C flats in air at temperatures of 296, 873, and 1073 K under dry sliding conditions. Results indicate that all the Al₂O₃/ZrO₂ (Y₂O₃) ceramics, from highly Al₂O₃-rich to ZrO₂-rich, exceed the main wear criterion requirement of 10⁻⁶ mm³ N⁻¹ m⁻¹ or lower for effective wear-resistant applications. Particularly, the eutectics and Al₂O₃-rich ceramics showed superior wear properties. The composition and microstructure of Al₂O₃/ZrO₂ (Y₂O₃) ceramics played a dominant role in controlling the wear and friction properties. The controlling mechanism of the ceramic wear, friction, and hardness was an intrinsic effect involving the resistance to shear fracture of heterophase bonding and cohesive bonding and the interlocking microstructures at different scales in the ceramics.     

Tribological properties of ZrO2 (Y2O3)-Mo-BaF2/CaF2 composites at high temperatures

ZrO₂ (Y₂O₃) with different contents of BaF₂/CaF₂ and Mo were fabricated by hot pressed sintering, and the tribological behavior of the composites against SiC ceramic was investigated from room temperature to 1000 °C. It was found that the ZrO₂ (Y₂O₃)-5BaF₂/CaF₂-10Mo composite possessed excellent self-lubricating and anti-wear properties. The low friction and wear were attributed to enhanced matrix and BaMoO₄ formed on the worn surfaces.     

Microstructure and tribological characteristics of ZrO2–Y2O3 ceramic coatings deposited by laser-assisted plasma hybrid spraying

ZrO₂–Y₂O₃ ceramic coatings were deposited on AISI 304 stainless steel by both a low-pressure plasma spraying (LPPS) and a laser-assisted plasma hybrid spraying (LPHS). Microstructure and tribological characteristics of ZrO₂–Y₂O₃ coatings were studied using an optical microscope, a scanning electron microscope, and an SRV high-temperature friction and wear tester. The LPHS coatings exhibit distinctly reduced porosity, uniform microstructure, high hardness and highly adhesive bonding, although more microcracks and even vertical macrocracks seem to be caused in the LPHS coatings. The ZrO₂ lamellae in the LPHS coatings before and after 800°C wear test consist mainly of the metastable tetragonal (t′) phase of ZrO₂ together with small amount of c phase. The t′ phase is very stable when it is exposed to the wear test at elevated temperatures up to 800°C for 1 h. The friction and wear of the LPHS coatings shows a strong dependence on temperature, changing from a low to a high wear regime with the increase of temperature. At low temperatures, friction and wear of the LPHS coatings is improved by laser irradiation because of the reduced connected pores and high hardness in contrary to the LPPS coating. However, at elevated temperatures, the friction and wear of the LPHS coatings is not reduced by laser irradiation. At room temperature, mild scratching and plastic deformation of the LPHS coatings are the main failure mechanism. However, surface fatigue, microcrack propagation, and localized spallation featured by intersplat fracture, crumbling and pulling-out of ZrO₂ splats become more dominated at elevated temperatures.     

Studying tribological characteristics of alumina- and zirconia-based ceramics

Tribotests of ceramic specimens of various compositions (Al₂O₃-1% TiO₂, ZrO₂-5.3% Y₂O₃, Al₂O₃-15% (ZrO₂ + 5.3% Y₂O₃)) were carried out under dry friction conditions. It has been shown that all of the specimens have a high wear resistance, while the Al₂O₃-15% (ZrO₂ + 5.3% Y₂O₃) specimens have the lowest wear rate and the highest microhardness. This is due to the fine-grained structure of these specimens and their higher density compared to that of the other ceramic compositions.     

Effect of Mo and Ag on the friction and wear behavior of ZrO2 (Y2O3)–Ag–CaF2–Mo composites from 20 °C to 1000 °C

In this paper, a series of ZrO₂ matrix high-temperature self-lubricating composites were prepared by hot-press technique. The effect of Mo and Ag on the friction and wear behavior of the ZrO₂(Y₂O₃)–Ag–CaF₂–Mo composites in a wide temperature range was investigated. The XRD results showed that CaMoO₄ formed on the worn surface above 400 °C. The excellent lubrication performance of CaMoO₄ endowed the low coefficient of friction of the ZrO₂(Y₂O₃)–Ag–CaF₂–Mo composites at high temperatures. The ZrO₂(Y₂O₃)–10Ag–10CaF₂–10Mo composites showed favorable wear resistance at all the tested temperatures which was attributed to the combined action of hardness and phase transformation.     

The influence of the composition of nanostructural PSZ powders on ceramics wear

The results of tribological testing of ceramics with the composition ZrO₂ + Al₂O₃, ZrO₂ + Y₂O₃, and ZrO₂ + Y₂O₃ + Al₂O₃ made of nanostructural powders are presented. The nanopowders have been obtained by chemical precipitation from solutions of zirconium and yttrium chloride salts. The studies have been carried out as applied to machine parts: drawing dies and bearing plugs. The dependence of the wear of friction pairs on the composition of the ceramics is shown.     

Tribological properties of spark-plasma-sintered ZrO2(Y2O3)-CaF2-Ag composites at elevated temperatures

Spark-plasma sintering is employed to synthesize self-lubricating ZrO₂(Y₂O₃) matrix composites with different additives of CaF₂ and Ag as solid lubricants by tailoring the composition and by adjusting the sintering temperature. The friction and wear behavior of ZrO₂(Y₂O₃) matrix composites have been investigated in dry sliding against an alumina ball from room temperature to 800 °C. The effective self-lubrication at different temperatures depends mainly on the content of various solid lubricants in the composites. The addition of 35 wt.% Ag and 30 wt.% CaF₂ in the ZrO₂(Y₂O₃) matrix can promote the formation of a well-covered lubricating film, and effectively reduce the friction and wear over the entire temperature range studied. The friction coefficients at low temperatures were at a minimum value for the composite containing 35 wt.% of silver. At this silver concentration, low and intermediate temperature lubricating properties are greatly improved without affecting high-temperature lubrication by the calcium fluoride in ZrO₂(Y₂O₃) matrix composites. The worn surfaces and transfer films formed during wear process have been characterized to identify the synergistic lubrication behavior of CaF₂ and Ag lubricants at different temperatures.     

Experimental study of the speed-dependence tribotechnical characteristics of some plasma-sprayed oxide coatings at elevated temperatures

The effect of the sliding speed on friction and wear characteristics of plasma-sprayed ceramic coatings (Al₂O₃-13% TiO₂, ZrO₂-8% Y₂O₃, Al₂O₃-modified) was studied. Plasma-sprayed coatings are not hard and have high layered structure. Abrasion of coatings in the friction pair with steel and bronze counter-bodies occurs through brittle detachment conglomerated regions with low cohesive resistance. The modified coating (Al₂O₃) has the highest wear resistance and the lower coefficient of friction compared to the coatings (Al₂O₃-13% TiO₂, ZrO₂-8% Y₂O₃) in the studied velocity range (0.1–10 mm/s). Laser melting can be used as an efficient way of increasing the tribotechnical properties of plasma-sprayed oxide coatings.     

Tribological Properties of Spark-Plasma-Sintered ZrO2(Y2O3)–Al2O3–Ba x Sr1?x SO4 (x?=?0.25, 0.5, 0.75) Composites at Elevated Temperature

Self-lubricating ZrO₂(Y₂O₃)–Al₂O₃–Ba _x Sr_1−x SO₄ (x = 0.25, 0.5, 0.75) composites have been fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) method. The tribological properties have been evaluated using a high-temperature friction and wear tester at room temperature and 760 °C in dry sliding against alumina ball. The composites exhibit distinct improvements in effectively reducing friction and wear, as compared to the unmodified ZrO₂(Y₂O₃)–Al₂O₃ ceramics. The ZrO₂(Y₂O₃)–Al₂O₃–Ba _x Sr_1−x SO₄ (x = 0.25, 0.5, 0.75) composites have great low and stable friction coefficients of less than 0.15 and wear rates in the order of 10^− 6mm³/Nm at 760 °C. Delamination is considered as the dominating wear mechanism of the composites at room temperature. At elevated temperature, the formation and effective spreading of Ba _x Sr_1−x SO₄ (x = 0.25, 0.5, 0.75) lubricating films during sliding play an important role in the reduction of the friction and wear.     

Abrasive wear in ceramic laminated composites

Laminated ceramic structures in the system Al₂O₃/Al₂O₃ + 3Y-TZP (A/AZ) were prepared using a tape casting technique in order to obtain ceramic layers with different compositions and thicknesses. Piezo-spectroscopy was used to evaluate the residual stresses arisen from a calibrated mismatch in thermal expansion coefficients of the layers during the sintering process of the composite. The dependence of the residual stresses in the A and AZ layers on their thickness ratio was established. A microscale ball cratering method was used to investigate the influence that the surface compressive stress can play on the abrasive wear resistance of the composite structures. The results were compared with those obtained with an unstressed reference material prepared either by lamination of pure alumina green-sheets or by cold isostatic pressing of alumina powder. The experimental results have shown that the abrasive wear resistance is higher for samples with compressive residual stresses within the surface regions.     

Wear Behavior of Thin Film Heads for VCR in Sliding with Metal Evaporated Tapes

In order to apply thin film heads to digital video cassette recorders, wear behavior, machinability of head materials, and level difference of the heads were evaluated. The tests, performed with metal evaporated tapes, were divided into two stages. First, wear rate and machinability of individual materials were evaluated. It was found that adhesive wear was dominant for every material. Wear damage was especially-severe for metal magnetic films. Machinability was satisfactory for most bulk materials except for those with a hardness of more than 1000 kgf/mm², ZrO₂ ceramics and devitalized glass. Secondly, wear damage and level difference were evaluated using model heads. After the test, a number of flows were formed on sliding surfaces, mainly on the film surfaces, indicating that abrasive wear occurred. With bulk material of larger wear rate, the level difference reached the final value faster and its deviation was smaller. With Co-Zr-Nb magnetic metal and an Al₂O₃ protective layer, the level difference was less than 20 nm using CaTiO₃ or ZrO₂-Ta₂O₅, bulk substrates.     

Flank and crater wear mechanisms of alumina-based cutting tools when machining steel

Two ceramic tool materials CC620 (a pure ceramic containing Al₂O₃ and ZrO₂) and CC650 (a mixed ceramic containing Al₂O₃ and Ti(N, C)) were used to cut steel SS 2541 (similar to AISI 4337) heat treated to a hardness of 300 HB. The worn cutting edge surfaces were examined using optical and scanning electron microscopy techniques. Crater and flank wear was measured using a profilometer and light microscopy. It was found that crater wear was mainly athermal while flank wear was the result of a thermally activated process.Crater wear was found to depend on several processes: plastic deformation, chemical reaction with workpiece material and formation of built-up layers. Altogether these processes resulted in an athermal behaviour. Flank wear in contrast was also found to depend on plastic deformation but predominantly on an intergranular fracture mechanism, where it is proposed that crack initiation occurred by dislocation pile-ups at grain boundaries. These dislocation pile-ups were considered to be the result of thermally activated plastic deformation, for which temperatures were not high enough to activate the secondary slip systems.     

Friction and Wear Properties of ZrO2�CAl2O3 Composite with Three Layered Structure Under Water Lubrication

Zirconia?CAlumina (ZrO₂?CAl₂O₃) composite with three layered structure was prepared, and its friction and wear properties under water lubrication were investigated. The results indicate that the layered composite exhibited better tribological properties comparing with ZrO₂?CAl₂O₃ mono-layered composite at same tested conditions. Good combination of toughness and strength as well as subsequently excellent friction and wear properties were mainly contributed to the residual stress of the layered composite, which caused by thermal mismatch of sintering between layers through special design of compositions and structure. Friction coefficient and wear rate of the layered composite decreased with increment of load and/or velocity. The change of tribological properties was also relative to wear mechanisms, micro-cutting, and abrasive wear were main mechanisms at lower load and/or lower velocity but fatigue wear caused by plastic deformation became dominant at higher load and/or higher velocity.     

Evaluation of Y2O3 surface machinability using ultra-precision lapping process with IED

Prospects of Y₂O₃ have been more extended as a great promising and creditable material for optical, electronic and mechanical purposes. Y₂O₃ has been more observed as a fine ceramic which has great material properties: high light transparency, excellent thermal resistance and chemical inertness. But in terms of effective application of Y₂O₃, its hard and brittle nature needs to be overcome during the surface machining process. Therefore, the surface machining control of Y₂O₃ should be conducted carefully. The evaluation for stable and continuous machining should also be investigated in various industrial fields as there are only limited studies on the subject. The lapping process with in-process electrolytic dressing (IED) is widely used for surface machining of hard and brittle materials. In this study, Y₂O₃ surface machinability was evaluated by using the ultra-precision lapping process with IED method by changing three major variables: applied force, wheel speed and machining time. The most suitable value of Ra 92nm surface roughness was acquired with smooth surface quality from the following machining condition: 7kg of applied force, 60rpm of wheel speed and 30minutes of machining time. After the lapping process, the machining tendency and surface characteristics were analyzed with fracture toughness and Vickers hardness for the evaluation of Y₂O₃ surface machinability. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Dae-Eun Kim Eun-Sang Lee received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from INHA University in 1985 and in 1987. After that time, he received a Ph.D. degree from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in 1998. Dr. Lee is currently a Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering at INHA University in Incheon, Korea. His research fields are ultra-precision manufacturing, electro chemical micro machining and development of semiconductor wafer polishing system.     

WC–ZrO2 composites: processing and unlubricated tribological properties

In the present work, we report the processing and properties of WC–6 wt.% ZrO₂ composites, densified using the pressureless sintering route. The densification of the WC–ZrO₂ composites was carried out in the temperature range of 1500–1700 °C with varying time (1–3 h) in vacuum. The experimental results indicate that significantly high hardness of 22–23 GPa and moderate fracture toughness of ∼5 MPa m^1/2 can be obtained with 2 mol% Y-stabilized ZrO₂ sinter-additive, sintered at 1600 °C for 3 h. Furthermore, the friction and wear behavior of optimized WC–ZrO₂ composite is investigated on a fretting mode I wear tester. The tribological results reveal that a moderate coefficient of friction in the range from 0.15 to 0.5 can be achieved with the optimised composite. An important observation is that a transition in friction and wear with load is noted. The dominant mechanisms of material removal appear to be tribochemical wear and spalling of tribolayer.     

High-temperature tribological properties of strontium sulfate films formed on zirconia-alumina, alumina and silicon nitride substrates

In our present study, Al₂O₃, (ZrO₂–3 mol% Y₂O₃)–39.6 mass% Al₂O₃ and Si₃N₄ substrates coated with SrSO₄ and SrSO₄–10 mass% Ag films were prepared, and the friction and wear properties of these specimens were investigated using a reciprocating ball-on-disk tribometer in the temperature range from room temperature to 1073 K in air. It was clarified that (ZrO₂–3 mol% Y₂O₃)–39.6 mass% Al₂O₃ substrates coated with chemically precipitated SrSO₄ particles and the substrates coated with SrSO₄–10 mass% Ag films prepared by mechanically grinding and annealing at 1073 K for 3.6 ks exhibited low friction coefficients and low wear rates at all the testing temperatures. In addition, the average friction coefficients of Si₃N₄ substrates were reduced above 673 K by coating with chemically precipitated SrSO₄ particles.     

Effect of temperature on friction and oscillating sliding wear of dense and porous 3Y-TZP zirconia ceramics

Microstructures of 3 mol% Y₂O₃-ZrO₂ (3Y-TZP) with systematically varying porosity up to about 15% were produced by sintering. Hardness and fracture toughness of the ceramics as well as the amount of tetragonal, cubic and monoclinic phase were measured. Wear tests were carried out on the different self-mated microstructures under dry reciprocating sliding contact using ring-on-block geometries in air at five different contact temperatures up to 500°C. The microstructures and worn surfaces were extensively analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction techniques. The experimental results revealed a reduction of the amount of wear (independent of porosity) by more than one order of magnitude compared with room temperature if the test temperature was increased to 250°C. Between room temperature and 250°C, wear increased with increasing porosity while at 500°C the highest wear was measured on the dense structure. Microscopic observations showed that plastic deformation, surface layers consisting of compacted wear debris and also intercrystalline, transcrystalline or delamination type fracture influenced friction and wear.     

Belt abrasion resistance and cutting tool studies on new ultra-hard boride materials

Composites of AlMgB₁₄ with 0, 30, and 70 wt% of TiB₂ were prepared by mechanical alloying and hot pressing. The composites’ belt abrasion resistance and cutting tool performance were measured by gravimetric analysis of material removal at varying loads and cutting speeds. AlMgB₁₄-70 wt% TiB₂ composites had high hardness and fracture toughness and the highest abrasive resistance of the three compositions. Cutting tool performance of AlMgB₁₄-70 wt% TiB₂ showed low wear due to chipping and little reaction with the Ti-6Al-4V work-piece. Subsurface damage and adhesion of the work-piece onto the tool material were gauged by SEM.     

Dry sliding wear mechanism for P/M austenitic stainless steels and their composites containing Al2O3 and Y2O3 particles

Austenitic stainless steels are used in applications demanding general corrosion resistance at room or moderate operating temperatures. However, their use is often limited by the relative softness of these materials and their suceptibility to wear and galling. The present investigation deals with the dry sliding wear behaviour of two P/M austenitic stainless steels (AISI 304L and 316L) and their composites containing two different ceramic particles (Al₂O₃ and Y₂O₃) and two different sintering activators (BN and B₂Cr). Unlubricated pin-on-disc wear tests were carried out. Wear mechanisms were analysed by means of scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. A plastic deformation and particle detachment wear mechanism was revealed. Plasticity during sliding induced an austenite to martensite transformation. The presence of ceramic particles (Al₂O₃ and Y₂O₃) and sintering activators (B₂Cr, BN) improved significantly the wear resistance (especially the combination Al₂O₃ and B₂Cr). Ceramic particles limited plastic deformation while sintering activators decreased final porosity.