Sliding friction and wear of alumina-reinforced zirconia-toughened mullite composites

The friction and wear characteristic of self-mated alumina-reinforced zirconia-toughened mullite (ZTM/A) composites has been investigated using a block-on-ring tribometer in different lubricants at varying loads. Load-dependent wear transitions were observed for these ceramics. The wear transition was usually accompanied by an abrupt change of friction coefficient and wear rate. The addition of Al₂O₃ effectively reduces the wear rate of ZTM/A composites before the wear transition in water and at middle loads in machine oil. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs show that the main pre-transition wear mechanism of ZTM/A composites is plastic deformation, ploughing and occasionally grains pulling out, while fracture is the dominant mechanism of post-transition. Al₂O₃ can restrain the t→m phase transformation of zirconia to some extent and improve the resistance of these materials to wear by fracture, ploughing and plastic deformation.     

Study of the tribological performance of zirconia-based materials in pair with VT-9 titanium alloy

The paper presents a study of the possibility of using composite nanostructured ceramic materials and crystals based on zirconia as bearing materials for dry operation at temperatures of up to 150°C. The results of experimental study of the dry friction of the materials in pair with alpha-titanium alloy VT-9 are presented. It is shown that at a sliding velocity of 0.004 m/s, contact pressure of 3.3 MPa, and temperature of 150°C, their antifriction properties do not differ significantly. ZrO₂ crystals have a slight superiority in wear resistance because of their higher microhardness. The wear resistances of the alpha-alloy in pair with the ceramics and the crystal are practically the same. A power pattern of the dependence of the wear rate on the pressure for the ZrO₂ crystal and the VT-9 (α) alloy is confirmed.     

Wear and fracture toughness of partially stabilized zirconia ceramics under dry friction against steel

The wear of two ceramic materials containing partially stabilized zirconia is studied under unlubricated friction against steel. The first material, with ZrO₂ and 3 mol % Y₂O₃, was obtained by cold isostatic pressing and sintering. The second material, comprising ZrO₂ and 4 mol % Y₂O₃, was fabricated by additional hot isostatic pressing. The samples of both materials were fabricated with high and low values of fracture toughness. The samples with high fracture toughness are found to wear more intensively. This fact can be explained by surface micro-cracking during braking as a result of phase transformations.     

Sliding wear behavior of protective coatings for diesel engine components

The use of heat-insulating ceramic coatings on the cylinder walls of diesel engines is currently being considered for certain advanced engine designs. Since a major consideration in such an application is the wear resistance of the coatings, a series of tests has been carried out to determine the sliding wear behavior of several pairs of candidate materials systems, initially at room temperature. The tests were performed using a washer-on-disc specimen configuration and an oscillatory rotation movement to simulate the motion of a piston ring on a cylinder wall. It was determined that each material tested had a different pattern of sliding wear behavior. Impregnation of plasma-sprayed Y₂O₃-ZrO₂ with chromia markedly improved its wear resistance.     

Development of sheet metal forming dies with excellent mechanical properties using additive manufacturing and rapid tooling technologies

Cost and time are two major concerns that are needed to manufacture new sheet metal forming dies in the industry. A cost-effective approach for rapid production of sheet metal forming dies with excellent wear resistance and mechanical properties was developed using additive manufacturing and rapid tooling technologies. This paper deals with the effect of zirconia (ZrO₂) addition on the mechanical properties of sheet metal forming dies. Sheet metal forming experiments confirmed that the sheet metal forming dies fabricated by epoxy resin filled with 30 wt% ZrO₂ particles have the low corner wear. The sheet metal dies can be fabricated within 2 days to meet the requirements of reducing the development time in the research and development stage for a new product.     

Microstructure and tribological behavior of Ti–Si eutectic alloys with Al addition

The effect of Al element alloying on the microstructure and tribological behavior of Ti–Si eutectic alloys has been studied. The experimental results show that Al element changes the microstructure from large eutectic cells that consist of layered tablet phases Ti₅Si₃ and α-Ti (for the Al-free alloy) to near-equiaxed or rod-like Ti₅Si₃ particle reinforced continuous α-Ti (Al, Si) solid solutions. This microstructural change greatly improves the ductility and reduces brittle fracture of massive superficial materials during wear process. Microplough and local delamination are the main wear mechanisms of Al-added Ti–Si alloys. Therefore, the wear resistance and friction stability are simultaneously improved.     

Tribological and structural study of new aluminum-based antifriction materials

The tribological characteristics of experimental aluminum-based antifriction materials are studied. The structures of the surface layers are examined, as well as the chemical composition of the surface of the original alloys and those tested for run-in, wear resistance, and scoring. It has been found that these alloys consist of the three following phase constituents: a matrix, which is complex-alloyed aluminum; an Al₂Cu-Θ phase, which plays a role of a hardener; and a soft Sn + Pb phase constituent, which acts as solid lubricant. The effect of the chemical composition of the surface on the tribological behavior of the materials under study has been shown.     

Khruschov's rule and the abrasive wear resistance of multiphase solids

Khruschov has pointed out that the abrasive wear resistance of composites can often be expressed as ∑_iυ_i?_i where υ_i and ?_i are the volume fraction and wear resistance of the ith phase. This expression accurately predicts the wear resistance of metal composites but not of composites of metals and ceramic materials. While the volume abrasive wear rates of metals are believed to be proportional to the applied load, there is evidence that the volume wear rates of ceramic materials can be non-linear functions of both the applied load and the area of the abraded surface. The abrasive wear resistance of a model composite system is considered for steady state wear. For this system it can be shown that the relationship suggested by Khruschov is realized if the volume wear rates of the phases constituting the composite are proportional to the load. However, the relationship does not hold if the volume wear rates of the individual phases depend on the area or are non-linearly related to the load.     

Wear of aligned silicon nitride under dry sliding conditions

The wear behaviour of textured silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) ceramics with aligned microstructures was analyzed under abrasive wear conditions. Dry reciprocating self-mated ball-on-flat wear tests were performed to study the influence of different microstructural plane/orientation combinations on the Si₃N₄ tribological behaviour. Textured materials showed superior wear resistance than non-textured reference Si₃N₄ for the whole range of loads and contact pressures, 5–50 N and 1.7–3.6 GPa, respectively, with an increase of about 70% for the maximum applied load. Within textured materials, the plane perpendicular to the extruding direction exhibited a 50% higher wear resistance (4 × 10^?5 mm³ N^?1 m^?1) than the parallel plane where the elongated grains were aligned. The severe wear process involved debonding, fracture and debris formation mechanisms. The progress of this sequence depended on the particular microstructure of each plane/orientation combination. A relationship between abrasive wear resistance and selected microstructural parameters has been established.     

Effect of loading system inertia on tribological behaviour of ceramic–ceramic,ceramic–metal and metal–metal dry sliding contacts

Machine dynamics can contribute to a difference between results in coefficient of friction, vibration level and wear rate of the same tribo-couple concerning the compliance of the support provided to a sliding counterbody. The aim of the present work is revealing the effect of loading system inertia on laboratory tests results. A developed pendulum-type tribo-tester was used for testing ceramic–ceramic, ceramic–metal and metal–metal sliding contact combinations. Diamond-like, AlTiN, TiCN and AlCrN/Si₃N₄ PVD coatings and bare EN X30WCrV9-3 steel disks were tested against yttria-stabilized zirconia and EN 100Cr6 steel balls. Discussion on the mechanisms of materials degradation is based on SEM and EDS observations. It was found that inertia of loading system influences compaction of wear debris.     

The effect of the transfer film on the friction and wear of dry bearing materials for a power plant application

Friction and wear tests have been carried out for a number of commercial dry bearing materials containing polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), MoS₂ or graphite for a specific turbogenerator application. The effect of operating temperatures up to 300 °C has been investigated. The performance of the materials was strongly related to the formation and stability of a transferred film. PTFE-containing materials offered the most favourable performance over a wide temperature range; the wear rate obeyed a modified form of Archard's adhesive wear law. A simple model for the running-in behaviour of these materials is proposed.     

WC基刀具材料微观结构及其加工损坏机理研究

利用热压烧结工艺成功制备了WC基复合陶瓷材料,通过扫描电镜对WC基纳米复合刀具材料的显微结构、断裂方式及裂纹扩展情况进行了观察与分析。材料中由于ZrO2和Al2O3纳米颗粒的加入,促使其断裂方式以穿晶断裂为主,并伴有沿晶断裂。同时,研究了材料中纳米颗粒ZrO2和Al2O3的形态及分布。发现ZrO2的均匀分布在一定程度上影响WC晶粒的形状。通过透射电镜对纳米复合陶瓷中WC-ZrO2、WC-Al2O3、Al2O3-ZrO2的界面进行了观察,发现材料中气孔等缺陷较少,材料各相间具有较高的接合强度。同时,利用制备的刀具对钛合金（Ti6Al4V）进行了切削试验,并对刀具磨损和破损机理进行了分析与探讨,发现刀具主要的损坏机理为粘结磨损和疲劳磨损。     

Influence of SiC, SiO2 and graphite on corrosive wear of bronze composites subjected to acid rain

Sintered aluminum bronze friction materials have been successfully used in clutches and breaks for heavy-duty applications, due to their good wear resistance, cold workability, fatigue resistance and corrosion resistance. The aim of the present work is the preparation and investigation of bronze-based composites for components subjected to motion in aqueous environments. Three of bronze-based composites with different amounts of slide additive (graphite) and friction additives (SiC, SiO₂) were prepared by powder metallurgy. The microstructure profiles of the obtained composite materials were characterized by uniform distribution of SiC, SiO₂ and graphite particles within the bronze matrix. The porosity decreased with increase in the number of pressing and sintering processes. High Vickers hardness values were registered for samples with higher reinforcement contents.A combination of electrochemical and gravimetric techniques was used in this study to assess corrosive wear rates of these materials under neutralized as well as acid rain conditions. Increasing both slide and friction additives improved the corrosion resistance of these bronze composites. Samples with 1.5% graphite, 3% SiO₂ and 3% SiC had the highest corrosive wear resistance in neutralized as well as in acid rain due to the high amount of anti-friction and slide additives, in addition to low porosity.     

Wear mechanisms and residual stresses in alumina-based laminated cutting tools

The outstanding performances of the Al₂O₃ cutting tools in terms of potential cutting speed can lead to substantial economies in the machining of metallic materials.Nevertheless, their widespread use is limited by some drawbacks such as the tendency to edge chipping and to the propagation of microcracks, which can lead to premature failures.These shortcomings are due to the intrinsic low toughness of the ceramic material, which is in turn related to its characteristics non-metallic bonds.A well-recognised method of increasing the toughness of brittle materials is the introduction of surface compressive stresses, which can be obtained through a suitable lamination geometry of the tools as consequence of the different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) of the constituent layers.The performances of an alumina/zirconia laminated cutting tool used for machining steel have been investigated and compared to those of a non-laminated commercial alumina/zirconia cutting tool. The different wear mechanisms are explained on the basis of the different microstructures and chemical compositions. We have shown that residual compressive stresses, measured by Piezo-Spectroscopy, are effective in avoiding the microchipping on the flank zone but cannot avoid larger fractures caused by the residual porosity.     

Fretting wear behaviors of nanometer Al2O3 and SiO2 reinforced PEEK composites

The influence of diameter and content of Al₂O₃ particles on the tribological behaviors under fretting wear mode was investigated. The surface of PEEK composite and steel ball were examined by SEM and EDS, to identify the topography of wear scar and analyze the distribution of chemical elements in the friction counterparts, respectively. It can be found that the filling of Al₂O₃ powder improves the fretting wear resistance of PEEK composite. With the increase of Al₂O₃ diameter, the area of wear scar on specimen increases first and decreases afterward. However, the wear of composites increases monotonically with increasing Al₂O₃ content. Although the filling of 10 wt.% and 200 nm PTFE powder in PEEK makes the lowest wear of all specimens, no synergistic effect was found when Al₂O₃ and PTFE were filled into PEEK composite together. For the friction pair of PEEK composite and steel ball, abrasive wear and adhesive wear dominate the fretting wear mechanism during fretting. Thermal effect plays a very important role during fretting; thus the property of temperature resistance for polymer material would affect the wear degree on the surface of wear scar.     

Abrasive wear of high speed steels: Influence of abrasive particles and primary carbides on wear resistance

A ball cratering test has been used to investigate the abrasive wear of high speed steels with different volume fraction and size of primary carbides. Three different abrasives, SiC, Al₂O₃ and ZrO₂ were used. Wear mechanisms were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A good correlation between the hardness of the abrasives and the abrasive wear coefficient was found. Higher abrasive wear resistance was determined for steels containing coarser primary carbides compared to those without or with smaller carbides. The most pronounced difference in abrasive wear resistance was found for Al₂O₃ abrasives. This indicates that in ball cratering the abrasive medium has to be chosen properly, i.e. with a hardness adjusted to those of both primary carbides and martensitic matrix, to obtain results suitable to rank high speed steels with respect to abrasion resistance.     

Tribological properties and studies in SBF of Ta2O5/TiN/TiO2 monolayer and bilayer coatings on biomedical Ti6Al4V alloy

In this study, Ta₂O₅, TiN, and TiO₂ are coated with magnetron sputtering method as monolayer and bilayer on Ti6Al4V alloy used in biomedical applications. The deposited coatings are characterized, and their mechanical properties are determined by nanoindentation tests. As a result of the pin-on disc wear test performed in dry environment and room temperature, in vitro corrosion test was applied to the samples with high wear resistance, and the information about the tribological properties was obtained. Experimental results show that the existence of the intermediate layer has also significant effect on the corrosion resistance of the coatings. The biocompatibility of the Ta₂O₅/TiO₂ coating was examined by keeping it in simulated body fluid (SBF) due to its noticeable wear and corrosion resistance properties, the growth of apatite, which is described as an indicator of biocompatibility, occurred on the sample surface after 7 day.

     

Wear-Resistant PTFE/SiO2 Nanoparticle Composite Films

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a polymer that is well known for its exceptional tribological properties and, as such, it is commonly used to reduce the coefficient of friction between surfaces. In recent years it has also been established that by incorporating nanoparticle fillers in PTFE, it is possible to extend the polymer's life by reducing its wear rate. Although much study has been placed on bulk PTFE, very little study has been focused on thin films. This article demonstrates that SiO ₂ nanoparticles can be used as a filler to significantly reduce the wear of PTFE thin films while also maintaining a low coefficient of friction. The wear resistance and coefficient of friction of PTFE/SiO ₂ composite films on stainless steel substrates were tested using a linear reciprocating tribometer and compared to pure PTFE films and bare stainless steel to evaluate the benefit of incorporating the SiO ₂ filler in the film. The composite films showed a significant improvement in wear resistance when compared to pure PTFE films. The coefficient of friction for the composite film remained low and stable during a 50 g normal load friction test for a duration of approximately 300 cycles, whereas that of PTFE showed an increasing trend at onset. In addition, of 1.7 and 3.3 wt% SiO ₂ concentrations in solution, 3.3 wt% SiO ₂ showed better performance, with a much higher wear resistance than that of 1.7% SiO ₂ after being subjected to a 1,000-cycle abrasive wear test.     

Dry Sliding Friction and Wear Mechanism of TiC-TiB2 Particulate Locally Reinforced Mn-Steel Matrix Composite from a Cu-Ti-B4C System via a Self-Propagating High-Temperature Synthesis (SHS) Casting Route

An Mn-steel matrix composite locally reinforced with in situ TiC-TiB₂ ceramic particulates was successfully fabricated via a self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) casting route in a Cu-Ti-B₄C system with various Cu contents. The effect of the Cu content on wear behavior, wear surface, and wear mechanism of the composite was investigated against an AISI H13 mating disc in similar testing conditions at various applied loads and sliding velocities. Moreover, the phase identification and microstructure of the composite were examined. With the increase in Cu content, the wear resistance of the Mn-steel matrix composite decreases first and then increases. Impressively, the composite with 30 wt% Cu content has the highest wear resistance. The enhanced wear resistance can be attributed to the combination of size of ceramic particulates, number of pores, and strength of the interfacial bonding. The dominant wear mechanisms of the TiC-TiB₂ ceramic particulate–reinforced Mn-steel matrix are ploughing grooves and delamination wear associated with more abrasion and adhesion.     

Friction and wear behaviors of C/C-SiC composites containing Ti3SiC2

In the present paper, friction and wear behaviors of a carbon fiber reinforced carbon–silicon carbide–titanium silicon carbide (C-SiC–Ti₃SiC₂) hybrid matrix composites fabricated by slurry infiltration and liquid silicon infiltration were studied for potential application as brake materials. The properties were compared with those of C/C-SiC composites. The composites containing Ti₃SiC₂ had not only higher friction stability coefficient but also much higher wear resistance than C/C-SiC composites. At an initial braking speed of 28 m/s under 0.8 MPa pressure, the weight wear rate of the composites containing 5 vol% Ti₃SiC₂ was 5.55 mg/cycle, which was only one-third of C/C-SiC composites. Self-lubricious film-like debris was formed on the composites containing Ti₃SiC₂, leading to the improvement of friction and wear properties. The effect of braking speed and braking pressure on the tribological properties of modified composites were investigated. The average friction coefficient was significantly affected by braking speed and braking pressure, but the wear rate was less affected by braking pressure.