The effect of sliding time and speed on the wear of composite materials

The friction and wear properties of an Al 201 alloy and a unidirectionally oriented graphite fiber-aluminum matrix composite (T50-Al 201) were investigated. The experiments were conducted on a pin-on-disc type friction machine. The diameter of the pin was 0.22 cm and the load 4.46 N. The sliding velocity varied between 0.17 and 0.43 m s^?1. The disc counterface was of commercially pure iron. It has been found that the friction coefficient μ and the wear rate W_L of the composite material decrease as the sliding time is increased until a steady state value is reached. The steady state wear rate is proportional to the reciprocal of the sliding speed in accord with a recently proposed model. Scanning electron microscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy observations indicate that the high initial values of μ and W_L are due to a high degree of matrix adhesion to the counterface accompanied by fiber breaking and transfer. The low steady state values of μ and W_L are due to the formation of a film that impedes adhesion and confers some degree of self-lubrication. It is suggested that the observed variation of W_L with sliding speed is related to changes in the degree of subsurface damage as the velocity is varied.     

Effect of fiber orientation on friction and wear of fiber reinforced polymeric composites

The friction and wear behavior of composites (i.e. uniaxially oriented graphite fiber-epoxy, Kevlar fiber-epoxy and biaxially oriented glass fiber-MoS₂-polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)) was investigated as a function of varying fiber orientations with respect to the sliding direction. In graphite fiber-epoxy composites, both wear and friction coefficients were minimum when the orientation of the fibers was normal to the sliding surface. In Kevlar-epoxy composites when the fibers were oriented normal to the surface and the sliding direction, the wear rate was also minimum but the friction coefficient was the highest. In glass fiber-MoS₂-PTFE composites wear was minimum when the largest fraction of fibers was oriented normal to the sliding surface.     

Dry-sliding tribological behavior of Fe–Ni alloys

The paper reports the dry-sliding tribological behavior of Fe_100−x–Ni_x (x=20,23,25,30) alloys with various martensite fractions. For all the alloys, the friction coefficient decreased with increasing applied load and increased with increasing sliding speed, but there was nearly no difference between the different alloys. The wear rate of the alloys increased with increasing applied load and decreased slightly with increasing sliding speed. Microstructures had great influence on the wear behavior of these alloys. The Fe₇₇Ni₂₃ alloy with well-proportioned martensite exhibited the best wear resistance.     

Friction and Wear Behavior of WS2/Zr Self-lubricating Soft Coatings in Dry Sliding Against 40Cr-Hardened Steel Balls

WS₂ and WS₂/Zr self-lubricating soft coatings were produced by medium-frequency magnetron sputtering, multi-arc ion plating and ion-beam-assisted deposition technique on the cemented carbide YT15 (WC + 15 % TiC + 6 % Co) substrates. Microstructural and fundamental properties of these coatings were examined. Sliding wear tests against 40Cr-hardened steel using a ball-on-disk tribometer method were carried out with these coated materials. The friction coefficient and wear rates were measured with various applied loads and sliding speeds. The wear surface features of the coatings were examined using SEM. The results showed that the WS-1 specimen (with WS₂/Zr composite coating) has higher hardness and coating/substrate critical load compared with that of the WS-2 specimen (only with WS₂ coating). The friction coefficient of WS-1 specimen increases with the increase in applied load and is quite insensitive to the sliding speed. The wear rate of the WS-1 specimen is almost constant under different applied loads and sliding speeds. The WS-1 specimen shows the smallest friction coefficient and wear rate among all the specimens tested under the same conditions. The WS-1 specimen exhibits improved friction behavior to that of the WS-2 specimen, and the antiwear lifetime of the WS₂ coatings can be prolonged through adding Zr additives. The self-lubricating and wear mechanism of the WS₂/Zr coating was also found from the sliding wear tests.     

Triboemission, tribochemical reaction, and friction and wear in ceramics under various n-butane gas pressures

The triboemission behaviour of negatively and positively charged particles and photons generated by scratching a Si₃N₄ disc with a conical diamond stylus was studied under various gas pressures of n-butane as a model compound of typical paraffinic lubricating oil. The triboemission behaviour of photon emission in a frictional system of an Al₂O₃ ball sliding on Al₂O₃ and Si₃N₄ discs was also measured under various n-butane gas pressures. Further, the friction and wear in the frictional system of an Al₂O₃ ball sliding on an Si₃N₄ disc were studied under various n-butane gas pressures. The triboemission intensities of three kinds of energetic particles, negatively and positively charged particles and photons, become a maximum at a particular n-butane gas pressure. When the n-butane gas pressure is such that triboemission is a maximum, the formation of friction polymer-like high molecular weight products is at a maximum, and friction and wear of the ball decreases to a minimum. It has been concluded that the friction polymer-like high molecular weight products are formed through tribochemical reactions triggered by triboemission phenomena and help reduce the friction and wear of the solids.     

Study of tribological performance of ECR-CVD diamond-like carbon coatings on steel substrates: Part 1. The effect of processing parameters and operating conditions

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings were prepared on AISI 440C steel substrates at room temperature by electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition (ECR-CVD) process in C₂H₂/Ar plasma. Using the designed Ti/TiN/TiCN/TiC interfacial transition layers, relatively thick DLC coatings (1-2 μm) were successfully prepared on the steel substrates. The friction and wear performance of the DLC coatings was evaluated by ball-on-disk tribometry using a steel counterbody at various normal loads (1-10 N) and sliding speeds (2-15 cm/s). By optimizing the deposition parameters such as negative bias voltage, DLC coatings with hardness up to 30 GPa and friction coefficients lower than 0.15 against the 100Cr6 steel ball could be obtained. The friction coefficient was maintained for 100,000 cycles (∼2.2 km) of dry sliding in ambient environments. In addition, the specific wear rates of the coatings were found to be extremely low (∼10⁻⁸ mm³/Nm); at the same time, the ball wear rates were one order of magnitude lower. The influences of the processing parameters and the sliding conditions were determined, and the frictional behavior of the coatings was discussed. It has been found that higher normal loads or sliding speeds reduced the wear rates of the coatings. Therefore, it is feasible to prepare hard and highly adherent DLC coatings with low friction coefficient and low wear rate on engineering steel substrates by the ECR-CVD process. The excellent tribological performance of DLC coatings enables their industrial applications as wear-resistant solid lubricants on sliding parts.     

Friction characteristics of nanoscale sliding contacts between multi-asperity tips and textured surfaces

Nanoscale sliding contacts of smooth surfaces or between a single asperity and a smooth surface have been widely investigated by molecular dynamics simulations, while there are few studies on the sliding contacts between two rough surfaces. Actually, the friction of two rough surfaces considering interactions between more asperities should be more realistic. By using multiscale method, friction characteristics of two dimensional nanoscale sliding contacts between rigid multi-asperity tips and elastic textured surfaces are investigated. Four nanoscale textured surfaces with different texture shapes are designed, and six multi-asperity tips composed of cylindrical asperities with different radii are used to slide on the textured surfaces. Friction forces are compared for different tips, and effects of the asperity radii on the friction characteristics are investigated. Average friction forces for all the cases are listed and compared, and effects of texture shapes of the textured surfaces are discussed. The results show that textured surface II has a better structure to reduce friction forces. The multi-asperity tips composed of asperities with R=20r0 （r0=0.227 7 nm） or R=30r0 get higher friction forces compared with other cases, and more atoms of the textured surfaces are taken away by these two tips, which are harmful to reduce friction or wear. For the case of R=10ro, friction forces are also high due to large contact areas, but the sliding processes are stable and few atoms are taken away by the tip. The proposed research considers interactions between more asperities to make the model approach to the real sliding contact problems. The results will help to vary or even control friction characteristics by textured surfaces, or provide references to the design of textured surfaces.     

The effect of an alumina counterface on friction reduction of CuO/3Y-TZP composite at room temperature

The friction behavior of CuO/yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia (3Y-TZP) composite in dry sliding against alumina at room temperature has been investigated. The results show that an alumina counterface has a crucial role on the frictional behavior when sliding against CuO/3Y-TZP composite in comparison with other counter materials. Pure 3Y-TZP shows high friction and wear under the same conditions. It is found that the friction reduction behavior is dependent on the sliding test conditions such as load and humidity. A thin aluminum-rich layer less than 200 nm thick on the contact surface during the low friction situation has been found by various analyzing techniques including interference microscopy, micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microcopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The induced change of contact conditions and interfacial chemical reaction between CuO and alumina to form the phase CuAlO₂ increase the wear of alumina and accelerates the formation of an aluminum-rich surface layer. The presence of such a layer in the contact is beneficial for reducing friction. After a certain sliding distance, the coefficient of friction shifts from a low value to a high value due to a change in the dominating wear mechanism. This transition is shown to be caused by a different composition and thickness of the interfacial layer.     

Dry sliding wear of epoxy/cenosphere syntactic foams

Dry sliding wear behavior of epoxy matrix syntactic foams filled with 20, 40 and 60 wt% fly ash cenosphere is reported based on response surface methodology. Empirical models are constructed and validated based on analysis of variance. Results show that syntactic foams have higher wear resistance than the matrix resin. Among the parameters studied, the applied normal load (F) had a prominent effect on wear rate, specific wear rate (w_s) and coefficient of friction (μ). With increasing F, the wear rate increased, whereas w_s and μ decreased. With increase in filler content, the wear rate and w_s decreased, while the μ increased. With increase in sliding velocity as well as sliding distance, the wear rate and w_s show decreasing trends. Microscopy revealed broken cenospheres forming debris and extensive deformation marks on the wear surface.     

Impact of Cr3C2/VC addition on the dry sliding friction and wear response of WC–Co cemented carbides

Two grades of WC–10 wt.%Co cemented carbide with or without addition of Cr₃C₂/VC grain growth inhibitor during liquid phase sintering were produced with the goal to investigate their reciprocating sliding friction and wear behaviour against WC–6 wt.%Co cemented carbide under unlubricated conditions. The tribological characteristics were obtained on a Plint TE77 tribometer using distinctive normal contact loads. The generated wear tracks were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and quantified topographically using surface scanning equipment. The post-mortem obtained wear volumes were compared to the online assessed wear. Correlations between wear volume, wear rate and coefficient of friction on the one hand and sliding distance and microstructural properties on the other hand were determined, revealing a significant influence of Cr₃C₂/VC on the friction characteristics and wear performance.     

Tribological Properties of DLC Coatings in Helium

The aim of this research work was to investigate tribological properties of low-friction DLC coatings when operating in helium atmosphere. Two commercial DLC coatings (a-C:H and Me-C:H) were included in the investigation and compared to reference PTFE-based coatings, normally used on components operating in helium. Coatings were deposited on hardened 100Cr6 bearing steel discs and tested against uncoated steel balls in low-load pin-on-disc contact configuration. Investigation was focused on the effect of substrate roughness (R _a ?=?0.05?C0.2???m) and contact conditions, including contact pressure (150?C350?MPa) and sliding speed (0.2?C0.4?m/s) on the coefficient of friction of DLC coatings operating in helium. Results of this investigation show that for low-load sliding contact DLC coatings provide low friction in helium atmosphere, similar to soft PTFE-based coatings. At the same time DLC coatings investigated were found to substantially reduce wear of the coated surface. However, while the wear of the coated part has been more or less eliminated, application of DLC coating prolongs running-in and increases wear of the steel counter-part. Furthermore, also in helium atmosphere tribolgical behaviour of DLC coatings showed dependence on the coating type and contact conditions.     

Exploratory study of alumina-on-alumina sliding contact in the presence of the chemical vapor aluminum tri-sec-butoxide

The purpose of this experiment is to explore whether the introduction of the chemical vapor aluminum tri-sec-butoxide, [C₂H₅CH(CH₃)O]₃Al (ATSB), into the boundary layer of an alumina-on-alumina sliding contact can reduce wear and friction. Since the efficacy of ATSB in the boundary layer might depend on other factors, a split-plot factorial experiment was conducted. The factors tested, in addition to the presence or absence of ATSB, were normal load, sliding speed, and surface roughness. The product of normal load and sliding distance was constant in these experiments. The main conclusions of the experiment are that ATSB has no statistically significant effect on specific wear, but that the presence of ATSB reduces friction by 21% at low sliding speed (0.02 m/s) and increases friction by 26% at high sliding speed (1.2 m/s). Secondary conclusions regarding the dependence of specific wear and friction on surface roughness, sliding speed and normal load also will be discussed.     

Experimental determination of static and dynamic coefficients of sliding friction of epilam-coated materials

The effect of the method for depositing epilam coatings on materials on the static and dynamic coefficients of sliding friction is experimentally studied. Experiments were carried out using the pin-on-plate arrangement under dry friction conditions at a constant velocity of sliding under pressures of 0.5–5 MPa. It has been found that, for a like friction pair made from the 14Kh17N2 steel, the deposition of epilam coatings on materials reduces the coefficients of friction, but the wear resistance of the coated materials changes only slightly because the epilam film has a molecular-layer thickness. Thermovacuum tests carried out at T = 350°C under a pressure of 10^?6 Torr have shown the loss of the antifriction properties of the materials covered with the 6SFK-180-05 epilam.     

Comparison of various C2Hx for high‐temperature lubrication by in situ pyrolysis

The ability of directed streams of three representative hydrocarbon gases ‐ acetylene C₂H₄, ethylene C₂H₄, and ethane C₂H₆ ‐ to provide extended‐duration lubrication to high‐temperature sliding contacts via surface deposition of pyrolytic carbon has been demonstrated. One order‐ and two order‐of‐magnitude reductions in friction coefficient and wear rate of self‐mated silicon nitride sliding contacts can be realised by this technique. The ability of these gases to provide ‘adequate’ lubrication at high temperature is illustrated through mapping the normal load/temperature/precursor flow rate space over which reduced friction may be maintained. Acetylene was the most effective precursor for pyrolytic carbon deposition, providing adequate lubrication over the broadest range of normal load/temperature/flow rate combinations, while ethane was the least effective. The boundary of the regions of adequate lubrication represents the locus of contact conditions with equal rates of lubricious carbon deposition and removal by wear. The shape of this boundary, as explored in the mapping study, supports a proposed model in which the removal rate is proportional to the product of normal load and sliding speed, while the deposition rate is proportional to the product of precursor flow rate and an Arrhenius temperature dependence.     

Wear Resistance of the La<Subscript>62</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>12</Subscript>Ni<Subscript>12</Subscript>Al<Subscript>14</Subscript> Bulk Metallic Glass Under Dry Friction Conditions

The wear properties of a La₆₂Cu₁₂Ni₁₂Al₁₄ bulk metallic glass (BMG) using sliding wear system under the various normal loads and the annealing conditions have been investigated. Although the La₆₂Cu₁₂Ni₁₂Al₁₄ BMG is brittle during the tensile testing, it exhibits ductile behaviors during the sliding wear process. The SEM and the EDS analyses of the wear tracks and the debris after the sliding wear processes indicate that the wear mechanism is a combination of abrasion, adhesion, and oxidation. It is found that the wear resistance is significantly affected by the normal loads. With the increases in the wear load, the wear loss and the friction coefficient decrease. In addition, it is found that the wear properties are significantly affected by the annealing conditions. Compared with the annealed BMG alloys, the as-cast BMG alloy with a low hardness exhibits good wear resistance, which is attributed to the better ductility during the wear testing.     

Sliding friction and wear performance of Ti6Al4V in the presence of surface-capped copper nanoclusters lubricant

The friction and wear properties of Ti₆Al₄V sliding against AISI52100 steel ball under different lubricative media of surface-capped copper nanoclusters lubricant—Cu nanoparticles capped with O,O′-di-n-octyldithiophosphate (Cu-DTP), rapeseed oil and rapeseed oil containing 1 wt% Cu-DTP was evaluated using an Optimol SRV oscillating friction and wear tester. The wear mechanism was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectrosmeter (XPS). Results indicate that Cu-DTP can act as the best lubricant for Ti₆Al₄V as compared with rapeseed oil and rapeseed oil containing 1 wt% Cu-DTP. The applied load and sliding frequency obviously affected the friction and wear behavior of Ti₆Al₄V under Cu-DTP lubricating. The frictional experiment of the Ti₆Al₄V sliding against AISI52100 cannot continue under the lubricating condition of rapeseed oil or rapeseed oil containing 1 wt% Cu-DTP when the applied load are over 100 N. Surprisingly, the frictional experiment of Ti₆Al₄V sliding against AISI52100 steel can continue at the applied load of 450 N under Cu-DTP lubricating. The tribochemical reaction film containing S and P is responsible for the good wear resistance and friction reduction of Ti₆Al₄V under Cu-DTP at the low applied load. However, a conjunct effect of Cu nanoparticle deposited film and tribochemical reaction film containing S and P contributes to the good tribological properties of Ti₆Al₄V under Cu-DTP at the high-applied load.     

Tribological characterization of tungsten nitride coatings deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering

The structure, hardness, friction and wear of tungsten nitrides prepared by d.c. reactive magnetron sputtering were investigated. The coatings were deposited with different nitrogen to argon ratios; the total pressure was kept constant. The tribological tests were performed on a pin-on-disc tribometer in terrestrial atmosphere with 100Cr6 steel, Al₂O₃ and Si₃N₄ balls as sliding counter-bodies. The wear tracks, the ball-wear scars and the wear debris were analysed by scanning electron microscopy in order to characterize the dominant wear mechanisms.The coatings exhibited different phases as a function of the nitrogen content: films with low N content exhibited the α-W phase; β-W phase was dominant for nitrogen contents from 12 to 15 at.% and β-W₂N was observed for nitrogen content higher that 30 at.%. The mechanical and tribological properties of the tungsten nitride coatings were strongly influenced by the structure. The hardness and the Young's modulus values were in the ranges (29–39 GPa) and (300–390 GPa), respectively; the lowest values correspond to the coatings with the highest nitrogen content. Generally, the friction and wear rate of tungsten nitride coatings sliding against ceramic balls increased with nitrogen content reaching a maximum at 12 at.%; further increase of the nitrogen content led to a decrease of the friction and wear. The sliding with the steel balls did not wear the coatings under the selected testing conditions.     

Monitoring of Wear Characteristics of TiN and TiAlN Coatings at Long Sliding Distances

TiN and TiAlN thin hard coatings have been widely applied on machine components and cutting tools to increase their wear resistance. These coatings have different wear behaviors, and determination of their wear characteristics in high-temperature and high-speed applications has great importance in the selection of suitable coating material to application. In this article, the wear behavior of single-layer TiN and TiAlN coatings was investigated at higher sliding speed and higher sliding distances than those in the literature. The coatings were deposited on AISI D2 cold-worked tool steel substrates using a magnetron sputtering system. The wear tests were performed at a sliding speed of 45 cm/s using a ball-on-disc method, and the wear area was investigated at seven different sliding distances (36–1,416 m). An Al₂O₃ ball was used as the counterpart material. The wear evolution was monitored using a confocal optical microscope and surface profilometer after each sliding test. The coefficient of friction and coefficient of wear were recorded with increasing sliding distance. It was found that the wear rate of the TiAlN coating decreases with sliding distance and it is much lower than that of TiN coating at longer sliding distance. This is due to the Al₂O₃ film formation at high temperature in the contact zone. Both coatings give similar coefficient of friction data during sliding with a slight increase in that of the TiAlN coating at high sliding distances due to the increasing alumina formation. When considering all results, the TiAlN coating is more suitable for hard machining applications.     

Friction and wear of carbon steel near T1-transition under dry sliding

The wear phenomenon of metals under dry sliding is, generally, divided into two modes of severe and mild wear. A discontinuous transition between the wear modes often takes place in a certain load range. The T₁-transition is usually observed at lower levels of load or sliding velocity. There is a great difference in wear rate between severe and mild wear. This indicates that the occurrence of severe wear should be avoided, especially in the field of machine design to prevent energy loss, occurrence of noise and vibration, and life reduction of machines and their components. Therefore, it is important for machine designers to know the relationship between friction and wear and the difference in properties of the wear surfaces in the two wear modes. In this study, wear tests of 0.35% C steel in contact with itself under constant load were conducted in moist air at various contact loads under dry sliding. The friction and wear were measured continuously throughout each test. After the tests, the relationship between friction and wear and the difference in properties of the wear surfaces were investigated in each wear mode. From the results, the upper and lower critical loads (P_acr and P_Acr) appeared between severe and mild wear. The phenomenon of zero wear has been newly found in the early period at very low loads. The zero wear continued for a long sliding distance and then changes to mild wear. The critical load between zero wear and mild wear is defined as P_zerowear. The load was changed once in a step-wise manner from low to high levels in process of test. Since the rubbing history under mild wear condition at the low load in the first stage affected the properties of wear surface, the wear mode at the high load in the second stage changed from ‘mild wear’ to ‘quasi-mild wear’ having a low rate. From the relationship between sliding distance necessary for the appearance of quasi-mild wear and contact load in the first stage, the boundary curve between severe wear and quasi-mild wear in the second stage is hyperbolic. This curve gradually approaches P_zerowear with decreasing contact load. Thus, P_zerowear is one of the important critical loads for elucidating the test results under varying load.     

On the use of fractal geometry methods for the wear process characterization

Irregular fluctuations of friction coefficient around the mean value were analysed by means of fractal geometry methods. Particular data were recorded during the steady-state stage of dry sliding tests carried out in Si₃N₄ ball - on - Si₃N₄/SiC nanocomposite disc configuration. It was proven that the set of points {sliding distance (time), friction coefficient}, considered as a geometric object in a two-dimensional space, has the property of a fractal curve. The fractal dimension of this curve increased with increasing wear rate gained in a particular wear test. This could indicate a possible correlation between the wear rate and the fractal dimension of friction coefficient as a function of sliding distance (time).