An oil monitoring method of wear evaluation for engine hot tests

Abnormal wear of a piston ring-cylinder liner pair may happen after 9 min hot tests of internal combustion engines, while the engine performance parameters were within predetermined threshold ranges. Few differences were observed among oil samples from the engines with or without abnormal wear in the spectrometric and Kittiwake Analex PQ analysis. Therefore, a manual confirmation by disassembling the oil pan was often required. In this work, an oil monitoring method for wear evaluation of the engines was proposed. The oil samples were rapidly analyzed on site by on-line visual ferrograph (OLVF). For the abnormal engines, it was found that the index of particle coverage area (IPCA), characterizing the wear debris concentration, was low. Moreover, large debris was rarely observed on OLVF ferrograms, which was consistent with the results obtained from analytical ferrography, and the reason was analyzed and discussed. In addition, an on-site abnormal wear evaluation procedure for the 9 min hot tests was proposed based on a trained Naive Bayes Classifier. As observed from the results of 27 engines, 4 abnormal engines were found. Among one of them, longitudinal scratches were found on the cylinder wall, which were evaluated as abnormal wear by the classifier. This method can cut down the quantity of disassembly inspection and is more efficient.     

Intraoperative knee anthropometrics: correlation with cartilage wear

Accurate knee morphology is of value in determining the correct sizing of prosthetic implants. Intraoperative measurement of key linear dimensional variables was carried out on 196 Caucasian knees (osteoarthritic patients: 68 male and 128 female). Of the 196 knees measured, 70 had extensive cartilage degeneration. Statistical analysis was carried out on this large sample size of data. Summary statistics and correlation coefficients between variables were determined and compared between subgroups. Male knees were on average larger than female knees. Higher correlation was found between variables for males than between variables for females. Overall, the patellar dimensions were seen to correlate least well with other anatomical variables. High correlation between femoral variables supports current femoral sizing procedure, although routine patellar resection practices are called into question. Average values for the 70 knees with extensive cartilage degeneration were significantly smaller (P < 0.01) than their counterparts for the other 126 knees. For a measurement not containing cartilage, such as femoral epicondylar width, this difference cannot be accounted for by the loss of cartilage owing to wear. This suggests that, for similar height and weight, a naturally narrower femoral epicondylar width may be associated with severe osteoarthritis.     

Long-term results for Kinemax and Kinematic knee bearings on a six-station knee wear simulator

A long-term wear test was performed on Kinemax and Kinematic (Howmedica Inc.) knee bearings on the Durham six-station knee wear simulator. The bearings were subjected to flexion/extension of 65-0 degrees, anterior-posterior translation of between 4.5 and 8.5 mm and a maximum axial load of 3 kN. Passive abduction/adduction and internal/external rotation were also permitted, however, two of the stations had a linkage system which produced +/- 5 degrees active internal/external rotation. The bearings were tested at 37 degrees C in a 30 per cent bovine serum solution and the test was run to 5.6 x 10(6) cycles. The bearings from stations 2 and 3, and stations 4 and 5 were swapped during the test to investigate the effects of interstation variability. The average wear rate and standard error was 3.00 +/- 0.98 mg/10(6) cycles (range 1.33-4.72 mg/10(6) cycles) for the Kinemax bearings and 3.78 +/- 1.04 mg/10(6) cycles (range 1.87-4.89 mg/10(6) cycles) for the Kinematic bearings. There were no significant differences in wear rates between the different bearing designs, the addition of active internal/external rotation or a change of stations. However, the wear tracks were different for the two types of bearings and with active internal/external rotation. The wear rates and factors were generally lower than previously published in vitro wear results; however, this may have been due to a difference in the axial loads and lubricants used. The appearance of the wear tracks with active internal/external rotation was comparable with those seen on explanted knee bearings.     

Friction and wear tests for elastomers

A common use of elastomers in business machines is as rollers, controlling the motion of such items as checks, paper forms and printer ribbons. In these applications both the friction and the wear resistance characteristics of the elastomer are of major significance. In this paper, two tests, developed to perform such characterizations against paper and ribbon surfaces, are described. Two case histories in which these test methods were effectively employed in resolving design problems are discussed. In addition, data for several elastomers are presented and compared.     

Structural analysis of a bileaflet mechanical heart valve prosthesis with curved leaflet

Structural analysis, especially the thickness effect on the structural strength, of a bileaflet mechanical heart valve prosthesis with curved leaflets is presented in this paper. Taking the wide variations of the blood flow pressure on the leaflet surface, the structural stresses inside the leaflet and deflections of the leaflet are investigated by adopting both linear and nonlinear structural analysis techniques for more accurate results comparison. The thickness of the curved leaflet also varies considerably from 0.50 mm to 0.75 mm by 0.05 mm. These are very useful for the design of the mechanical heart valve (MHV) prosthesis. Linear and nonlinear structural mechanic analyses for the leaflet of the MHV prosthesis are conducted to predict the structural strength variation of the leaflet as the leaflet thickness changes. Analysis results show that the structural strength of the leaflet decreases as the leaflet thickness becomes thinner and thinner, and the nonlinear structural behaviors of thin leaflets are very conspicuous for large applied blood pressures. Hence, these thin leaflets are not desirable for the in vivo use of the MHV prosthesis. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Young Eun Kim Young Joo Kwon received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering from Seoul National University in year and year, respectively, and then obtained the Ph.D. degree from the Department of Aerospace Engineering at The University of Michigan. He served as an engineer at Analysis and Design Application Co., Ltd., country, and a manager at Engineering Mechanics Research Corporation, country, and is currently a senior researcher at Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Korea and a professor in the Department of Mechano-Informatics & Design Engineering at Hongik University.     

Estimating chemical mechanical polishing pad wear with compressibility

A polishing pad is an important component in a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system. Few investigations have specialized in the variation of the characteristics of the pad as it undergoes wear. All of the information concerning a pad, such as compressibility and pad life, comes from the manufacturer. No acknowledged standard or instrument exists for determining a pad’s quality. This study obtained the variation of the compressibility (K) of major types of pad (single-layer pad and composite pad) with polishing time (pad wearing) by theoretical modeling and real experiments. The K of single-layer or composite pads changes due to wear, and the trends in the K values of the two types of pads are exactly opposite. A finite element method (FEM) is used here to show that the variation in K strongly affects the polishing process. Theoretically, the compressibility of a pad can be used to judge whether the pad is good for polishing or not.     

Drive-crank load for a continuous mechanical transformer

The drive-crank load is calculated for a continuous mechanical transformer. Its magnitude and direction are determined with respect to a crank with a specific working radius.     

Investigating texture and mechanical properties of Asian pear flesh by compression tests

In this study, texture and mechanical properties of Fengshui and Shingo pears were investigated by using double-bite compression tests. Texture properties such as hardness, fracturability, cohesiveness and springiness were determined and the relationships among selected sensory texture attributes were examined. Furthermore, the more objective mechanical properties such as elastic modulus, fracture and compression strength of pear were also investigated. The test results revealed that the hardness, fracturability and chewiness of Shingo are significantly higher than those of Fengshui. Besides, the strain at fracture of Shingo pear is 70 % higher than that of Fengshui and the stress of Shingo at fracture is 3 times higher than that of Fengshui. This understanding can be used to assist in the selection of superior variety of pears.     

Dynamic simulation of a displacement-controlled total knee replacement wear tester

This paper presents a dynamic finite element method (FEM) model of a commercial displacement-controlled total knee replacement (TKR) wear tester. The first goal of the study was to validate the model, which included both the wear tester and the TKR components. Convergence simulations and experimental testing were performed. These included a novel experimental determination of the coefficient of friction and an evaluation of predicted joint contact areas by comparing simulation results with experimental data collected using pressure-sensitive film. The second goal of this study was to develop a procedure for implementing force-based testing protocols on a displacement-controlled TKR wear tester. A standard force-based cyclic wear-testing protocol was simulated using the FEM model and resulting displacement waveforms were extracted. These were used as control inputs to the physical wear tester and an experimental wear test was performed. Reaction loads on the tibial components were measured and compared with the simulated results. The model was capable of accurately predicting the tibial loads throughout the test cycle, verifying the model's contact mechanics. The study demonstrated the use of computational modelling to convert a force-based testing protocol into displacement-based control parameters for use in a displacement-controlled mechanical testing system.     

Effect of copper content on the mechanical and sliding wear properties of monotectoid-based zinc-aluminium-copper alloys

One binary zinc-aluminium monotectoid and five ternary zinc-aluminium-copper alloys were produced by permanent mould casting. Their wear properties were examined using a block-on-ring test machine. Hardness, tensile strength and percentage elongation of the alloys were also determined and microhardness of aluminium-rich α phase was measured.It was observed that the hardness of the alloys increased continuously with increasing copper content up to 5%. Their tensile strength also increased with increasing copper content up to 2%, but above this level the strength decreased as the copper content increased further. Microhardness of the aluminium-rich α phase was also affected by the copper content in a manner similar to that of the tensile strength. It was found that the wear loss of the alloys decreased with increasing copper content and reached a minimum at 2% Cu for a sliding distance of 700 km. However, the coefficient of friction and temperature due to frictional heating were found to be generally less for the copper containing alloys than the one without the element. The effect of copper on the wear behaviour of the alloys was explained in terms of their microstructure, hardness, tensile strength, percentage elongation and microhardness of the α phase.     

Ceramic-ceramic composite materials with improved friction and wear properties

Dry friction and wear tests were performed with self-mated couples of SiC containing 50% TiC, Si₃N₄---BN, SiC---TiB₂ and Si₃N₄ with 32% TiN at room temperature and 400°C or 800°C.Under room temperature conditions, the friction coefficient of the couple SiC---TiC/SiC---TiC is only half of that of the couple SiC/SiC and the wear is one order of magnitude smaller. At 400°C, it exceeds the friction coefficient of SiC/SiC except at the highest sliding velocity of 3 m s⁻¹. At lower sliding velocities the wear coefficient of SiC---TiC/SiC---TiC is lower than that of SiC/SiC.The couple Si₃N₄---TiN/Si₃N₄---TiN exhibits high friction coefficients under all test conditions. At room temperature the wear volume of the self-mated couples of Si₃N₄ and Si₃N₄---TiN after a sliding distance of 1000 m is similar, but Si₃N₄---TiN shows a running-in behaviour. At 800°C the wear coefficient of Si₃N₄---TiN/Si₃N₄---TiN is approximately two orders of magnitude smaller than that of Si₃N₄/Si₃N₄, and equal to those at room temperature. At 22°C the addition of BN reduces the friction of Si₃N₄. The wear coefficient is independent of sliding velocity and the self-mated couples showing running-in. Friction and wear increase with increasing temperature. The wear coefficient of SiC---TiB₂ above 0.5 m s⁻¹ at 400°C is advantageously near 10⁻⁶ mm³ (Nm)⁻¹. With the other test conditions the wear behaviour is similar to SSiC.     

The effect of acetabular cup position on wear of a large-diameter metal-on-metal prosthesis studied with a hip joint simulator

Clinically, malposition of the acetabular cup in large-diameter metal-on-metal prosthetic hip designs is associated with high wear, adverse reaction to metal debris and early failure. A steep angle of the cup (>60°) may lead to poor tribological performance. Large-diameter CoCr-on-CoCr prostheses were run in the HUT-4 hip joint simulator so that a steep angle was included. With a correct position, the tribological behaviour was excellent, the wear rate being 0.1 mm³/10⁶ cycles. In the steepest position, lubrication failed and the wear rate was two orders of magnitude higher. This study stresses the importance of rigorous pre-clinical testing.     

Mode of zero wear in mechanical systems with dry contact

A theoretical and experimental analysis of a mechanical system with dry contact and subject to harmonic excitation is made. The adopted model is a two-degree-of-freedom system representing two sub-structures in dry contacts from their flat ground surfaces. It is theoretically shown that the two sub-structures move in phase with equal amplitudes at a particular frequency of oscillation. This particular frequency is called the frequency of virtual sticking and depends upon the physical properties of the two contacting sub-structures as well as the ratio between the amplitudes of external forces applied on these two structures in the direction of their friction sliding. Zero wear of contact surfaces can thus be established since relative velocity between encountered asperities of sub-structure surfaces becomes zero. It is shown, theoretically and experimentally, that when one of the applied harmonic forces is zero, the frequency of virtual sticking is equal to the natural frequency of the unforced sub-structure. The displacement ratio of the two contacting structures under the effect of harmonic excitation in their sliding direction is investigated within a frequency range up to 400 Hz. The tangential contact stiffness and the dynamic contact rigidity are theoretically determined and experimentally predicted from the measured forced displacement ratio.     

The role of abrasion and corrosion in grinding media wear

A range of ferrous grinding media compositions was subjected to laboratory marked ball wear tests in an ongoing research program at the Mineral Resources Research Center which was aimed at elucidating the responsible wear mechanisms during the grinding of minerals. Most of the wear data in this paper were obtained using a model quartz-pyrrhotite mineral slurry but these have been supplemented, where appropriate, with a small amount of data from wear tests on taconite ore and a Cu-Ni gabbroic ore. The role of abrasive and/or corrosive wear was determined by comparing the wear rates which result under a range of grinding atmospheres, i.e. O₂, N₂ or compressed air, flushing through a laboratory mill of 8 in diameter coupled with examination of ball surfaces after grinding using scanning electron microscopy.     

Determination of dynamic mechanical properties of metals from single pendulum scratch tests

This paper describes evaluations of dynamic mechanical properties of typical metals (Al, Cu, Ti, Ni, Co, and Mo) with single pendulum scratch tests. The curve fitting method with a polynomial has been used to calculate the geometrical parameters of the scratch track during the scratching process. The methodology and analytical modeling are developed for determining a series of mechanical properties, such as elastic modulus, shear modulus and cohesive strength of materials, with the help of calibrations to those of these metals. These parameters are effective to describe the dynamic mechanical properties of massive materials and modified surfaces of materials. Using these methods, the mechanical properties of plasma sprayed Ni–ZrO₂ coatings are determined.     

Vibrational tests in study of the mechanical properties of aluminum alloy samples

The results of vibrational tests of aluminum alloy samples with different filler content are reported. The resonance frequency, the frequency and transmission characteristics, and the dissipation parameters were determined for identifying and certifying the samples. A specialized vibration stand was designed. The influence of the excitation amplitude on the amplitude-frequency and phase-frequency characteristics of the harmonically and resonantly excited samples was analyzed. It is shown that various methods exist for estimating the damping characteristics and the nonlinear effects in test samples.     

Calculation of wear (f.i. wear modulus) in the plastic cup of a hip joint prosthesis

The wear equation is applied to the wear process in a hip joint prosthesis and a wear modulus is defined. The sliding distance, wear modulus, wear volume, wear area, contact angle and the maximum normal stress were calculated and the theoretical calculations applied to test results.During the wear process the increase of the wear modulus is about 100 Nmm^?2 per mm sliding distance in the Charnley and the Charnley-Muller hip joint prosthesis. From the wear volume point of view the Charnley prosthesis is probably superior to the Charnley-Muller prosthesis if run-in before implantation.     

On the synergistic effects of abrasion and corrosion during wear

The interactive effects of abrasion and corrosion were studied as a function of abrasive load, corrosion time and the frequency of abrasive and corrosive treatments. The initial rate of corrosion is independent of abrasive load but the percentage contribution to wear of corrosion decreases with increasing abrasive load. It has also been found that increasing the frequency of exposure to abrasion and corrosion increases the wear loss for a constant total amount of abrasion and corrosion. These effects are discussed in terms of the nature of the work-hardened surface layer and the chemical activity of this layer.     

Influence of PTFE content in PEEK-PTFE blends on mechanical properties and tribo-performance in various wear modes

Few papers are available on the optimum composition of PEEK-PTFE blends for the best possible combination of mechanical and tribological properties in the adhesive wear mode. Nothing is reported in this context on low amplitude oscillating/fretting wear mode. Moreover, the influence of increasing amounts of PTFE in the blend on abrasive wear behaviour along with a correlation with strength properties is not reported. Hence, in this work, five injection-moulded blends of PEEK with PTFE (in the range of 0-30 wt.%) were evaluated on a pin-on-disc configuration on an SRV Optimol Tester for their tribo-behaviour in the low amplitude oscillating wear mode. The data in the abrasive wear mode were generated by abrading a pin loaded against an abrasive paper fitted on the rotating disc. Data on neat PTFE were also included for comparison. It was observed that inclusion of PTFE affected the adhesive wear and low amplitude oscillating wear (LAOW) in a beneficial way. With an increase in PTFE contents, coefficient of friction in both the wear modes (adhesive and low amplitude oscillating) decreased but the trends in wear performance differed. In the adhesive wear mode, the specific wear rate showed minima for 7.5% PTFE inclusion followed by a slow increase for further PTFE addition. In the case of LAOW mode, on the other hand, the wear rate continuously decreased for the selected compositions. The 30% PTFE blend showed excellent combination of μ, wear rate and limiting pressure-velocity (PV) values. Unfilled PEEK proved to be fairly good wear-resistant material but exhibited high μ, a stick-slip tendency and a low PV limit value. Abrasive wear performance of the blends on the other hand, deteriorated with increasing amount of PTFE. Fairly good correlation was observed between the wear rate and product of H and S (H-hardness and S-ultimate tensile strength) rather than Ratner-Lancaster plot (product of S and e, where e is elongation to break).Thus, with increase in PTFE contents, though adhesive and LAOW performance increased substantially, it was at the cost of deterioration in all mechanical properties (except impact strength) and abrasive wear performance.     

Relationship between mechanical properties of thin nitride-based films and their behaviour in nano-scratch tests

TiFeN, TiN and TiFeMoN films were deposited on silicon using a dual ion beam system. High resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) has been used in conjunction with progressive load nano-scratch testing and nanoindentation to investigate film behaviour in highly loaded sliding and mechanical properties. Nitrogen ion assistance in TiFeN resulted in compositional changes to the films that created a larger fraction of softer FeN phase. Harder films exhibited higher ratios of hardness to modulus (H/E_r). At low scratching loads, the mechanical properties of the film itself control nano-scratch behaviour and films with higher H/E and lower plasticity indices are more resistant. At higher scratching load, the failure of harder films with H/E_r>0.11 was accompanied by delamination outside the scratch track. It is suggested that hard films with H/E_r≤0.11 possess a more optimum combination of hardness and toughness for applications where they will be exposed to high shearing forces and strain in the film in this case is more readily relieved by intergrain cracking.