Fretting of WC/a-C:H and Cr2N Coatings Under Grease-Lubricated and Unlubricated Conditions

The fretting phenomenon was investigated experimentally in contacts between coated and uncoated steel rod and ball specimens generating a circular Hertzian contact. A fretting wear test rig equipped with a video camera was used to observe the effects of fretting on coated steel surfaces in both grease-lubricated and unlubricated environments. Tungsten carbide reinforced amorphous hydrocarbon (WC/a-C:H) and chromium nitride (Cr₂N) coatings were tested and compared. Fretting wear volumes and surface profiles are presented for both grease-lubricated and unlubricated conditions. Videos of a coated ball fretting against a transparent sapphire flat were recorded and screen captures are presented. The role of normal load, lubrication, frequency, and amplitude of motion on the fretting wear of coatings is discussed. The lubricant released from the grease was observed to flow through channels in the stick zone of the fretting contacts. Both coatings were found to reduce fretting wear. WC/a-C:H was more effective at reducing wear under unlubricated conditions. WC/a-C:H decreased fretting wear more than Cr₂N when delamination was avoided in grease-lubricated contacts.     

Effect of the hardness of hardened steels and the action of oxides on fretting wear

The influence of hardness on fretting wear was investigated experimentally in air using a bearing-steel ball sliding on a 0.6% C steel plate under a load of 34.3 N at a frequency of 16.6 Hz. The total number of cycles was 10⁵ and peak-to-peak amplitudes of 45 and 260 μm were used. The hardness of both materials was varied from 220 to 850 HV.Hardness had only a minor influence on fretting wear. The significant factor was the action of any black oxide produced. The black oxide reduced the wear of the surface from which it was generated but acted as an abrasive against the opposing surface. At a sliding amplitude of 260 μm there were discontinuities on the wear curves due to the formation of black oxide. Similar wear characteristics were obtained with an amplitude of 45 μm except that some heavy damage due to adhesion and material transfer occurred.     

Fretting Wear Behavior of UHMWPE—Influence of Load and Stroke

In this study, the tribological behavior of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) against a GCr 15 steel ball during fretting wear conditions was investigated using an oscillating reciprocating tribometer. The aim of this study was to characterize the critical value of normal load and stroke corresponding to this transition in UHMWPE worn surface at room temperature. Results showed that there existed a critical value of load or stroke at fixed condition. The friction coefficient and wear volume loss of UHMWPE at or near the critical values of load and stroke exhibited extreme changes. Based on observation of the worn surface by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and 3D surface profiler measurements, it can be found that damage to the worn surface can be linked to the contact load and stroke. In addition, results showed that during the process of fretting wear under different load or stroke conditions, the gross slip regime dominated throughout the whole test period.     

Effect of contact load on fretting fatigue behaviour of steel wires

Abstract

The tension–tension fretting fatigue tests of steel wires were performed on a self-made fretting fatigue test equipment under contact loads ranging from 40 to 70 N and a strain ratio of 0·8. The results showed that when the contact load increased, the fretting regime of steel wires transformed from gross slip regime to mixed fretting regime. The fretting fatigue life in the mixed fretting regime was significantly lower than that in the gross slip regime. The main fretting wear mechanisms in the gross slip regime, where there were serious fretting damage and a lot of wear debris, were abrasive wear and fatigue wear. Microcracks were observed in the fretting scar of the mixed fretting regime, and the main fretting wear mechanisms were adhesive and fatigue wears. The fretting wear scar was the fatigue source region, and the fatigue fracture surface could be divided into three regions.     

中性腐蚀环境下钢丝的微动疲劳行为

在自制的微动疲劳试验机上开展中性腐蚀环境下单根钢丝的微动疲劳实验,考察在相同接触载荷下,不同振幅对钢丝的微动疲劳行为的影响,并用扫描电子显微镜观察疲劳钢丝的磨痕和断口形貌,研究钢丝微动疲劳断裂机制.结果表明:在较大的振幅下,钢丝的微动区均处于滑移状态,而在较小振幅下,钢丝的微动区从滑移状态逐渐转变为黏着状态;磨损机制主要为磨粒磨损、疲劳磨损、腐蚀磨损和塑性变形;钢丝疲劳寿命随着微动振幅的增大而减小;钢丝的疲劳断口可分为3个区域,即疲劳源区、裂纹扩展区及瞬间断裂区.     

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.     

The investigation of the steady stage of steel fretting

The effects of slip length, frequency, surface pressure and shape of the longitudinal oscillatory motion on the fretting wear of steel were investigated by a specially designed fretting apparatus using an M.T.S. closed loop axial hydraulic testing system.

The rate of fretting wear in the steady stage was found to increase with increasing slip length and specific surface pressure and to decrease with increasing cyclic frequency and material hardness. The wave shape of the oscillatory motion does not appear to affect the wear rate.

Increased slip, greater surface pressure and lower cycling frequency all promote the adhesion mechanism of fretting. With higher frequencies decreased slip and low surface pressures, the product of fretting wear is mainly oxides and oxidation is the leading wear mechanism.     

Mo离子注入提高TC4合金微动磨损抗力的研究

对TC4合金进行了Mo离子注入表面改性处理,利用摩擦磨损试验机进行了点接触微动磨损试验,借助读数显微镜和表面粗糙度仪测量出有关参数,计算出试样的微动磨损体积。结果表明,Mo离子注入使试样表面硬度提高,微动磨损体积明显降低。在微动磨损初期,Mo离子注入具有较好的减摩效果。Mo离子注入带来的表面强化效应是基体合金的微动磨损抗力得以提高的主要原因。     

The fretting wear of mild steel from room temperature to 200°C

This paper investigates in detail the fretting wear behaviour of mild steel from room temperature to 200°C. Contact resistance measurements and the scanning electron microscope have been used to interpret the wear mechanism in relation to the observed progress of different wear scar parameters. The fretting apparatus used was specially constructed for elevated temperature work, the wear area concentrated in the form of an annulus. It is found that in the fretting of mild steel, there is an initial stage of adhesion followed by a conditioning period before adhesion zones undergo deterioration and dispersal to form eventual oxide debris. The different stages in this mechanism are dealt with in detail. It is found that with mild steel the fretting damage decreases with increase of temperature in the range considered and reaches a constant value at 200°C, the transition temperature. The possibility of abrasive wear as an influencing factor in fretting is also examined but microfatigue is found to be by far the more important process during the steady state.     

Fretting Wear Behavior of Medium Carbon Steel Modified by Low Temperature Gas Multi-component Thermo-chemical Treatment

The introduction of surface engineering is expected to be an effective strategy against fretting damage. A large number of studies show that the low gas multi-component (such as carbon, nitrogen, sulphur and oxygen, etc) thermo-chemical treatment(LTGMTT) can overcome the brittleness of nitriding process, and upgrade the surface hardness and improve the wear resistance and fatigue properties of the work-pieces significantly. However, there are few reports on the anti-fretting properties of the LTGMTT modified layer up to now, which limits the applications of fretting. So this paper discusses the fretting wear behavior of modified layer on the surface of LZ50 (0.48%C) steel prepared by low temperature gas multi-component thermo-chemical treatment (LTGMTT) technology. The fretting wear tests of the modified layer flat specimens and its substrate (LZ50 steel) against 52100 steel balls with diameter of 40 mm are carried out under normal load of 150 N and displacement amplitudes varied from 2 μm to 40 μm. Characterization of the modified layer and dynamic analyses in combination with microscopic examinations were performed through the means of scanning electron microscope(SEM), optical microscope(OM), X-ray diffraction(XRD) and surface profilometer. The experimental results showed that the modified layer with a total thickness of 60 μm was consisted of three parts, i.e., loose layer, compound layer and diffusion layer. Compared with the substrate, the range of the mixed fretting regime(MFR) of the LTGMTT modified layer diminished, and the slip regime(SR) of the modified layer shifted to the direction of smaller displacement amplitude. The coefficient of friction(COF) of the modified layer was lower than that of the substrate in the initial stage. For the modified layer, the damage in partial slip regime(PSR) was very slight. The fretting wear mechanism of the modified layer both in MFR and SR was abrasive wear and delamination. The modified layer presented better wear resistance than the substrate in PSR and MFR; however, in SR, the wear resistance of the modified layer decreased with the increase of the displacement amplitudes. The experimental results can provide some experimental bases for promoting industrial application of LTGMTT modified layer in anti-fretting wear.     

Torsional fretting wear of a biomedical Ti6Al7Nb alloy for nitrogen ion implantation in bovine serum

Ti6Al7Nb is a high-strength titanium alloy used in replacement hip joints that possesses the excellent biocompatibility necessary for surgical implants. Ti6Al7Nb treated with nitrogen gas (N₂) plasma immersion ion implantation–deposition (PIII–D) was investigated. Torsional fretting wear tests of untreated and nitrogen-ion-implanted Ti6Al7Nb alloys against a Zr₂O ball (diameter 25.2 mm) were carried out under simulated physiological conditions (serum solution) in a torsional fretting wear test rig. Based on the analyses of the frictional kinetics behavior, the observation of 3D profiles, SEM morphologies and surface composition analyses, the damage characteristics of the surface modification layer and its substrate are discussed in detail. The influence of nitrogen ion density on the implantation and torsional angular displacement amplitudes were investigated. The results indicated that ion implantation layering can improve resistance to torsional fretting wear and thus has wide potential application for the prevention of torsional fretting damage in artificial implants. The damage mechanism prevented by the ion implantation layer on the Ti6Al7Nb alloy is a combination of oxidative wear, delamination and abrasive wear. An increase in ion implantation concentration inhibited detachment by delamination.     

Fretting wear behaviors of steel wires under friction-increasing grease conditions

Fretting wear tests were performed on the self-made fretting wear rig to investigate fretting wear behaviors of steel wires under friction-increasing grease conditions. The results demonstrated that the fretting regimes were dependent on displacement amplitudes and normal loads. The friction coefficient exhibited different variation trends in different fretting regimes. Friction-increasing grease changed the fretting running behavior and had a very good wear resistance for steel wires. Wear was slight in partial slip regime. Mixed regime was characterized by plastic deformation, fatigue cracks and abrasive wear. Slip regime presented main damage mechanisms of abrasive wear, fatigue wear and oxidation.     

Frequency effects in fretting wear

The effect of frequency of vibration on fretting wear has been investigated in the 10 – 1000 Hz range with additional experiments at 20 000 Hz. Fretting tests were performed with two materials, a low carbon steel (AISI 1018) and an austenitic stainless steel (AISI 304). The experiments showed that two cases of fretting contact can be distinguished and related to the displacement amplitude. If the amplitude is low, the contact situation is characterized by partial stick at the interface. At these conditions the wear rate (measured as the volume of material removed per cycle) is little affected by frequency. However, in low amplitude fretting material damage by surface degradation and fatigue crack initiation is usually of more concern than the actual wear itself. Both of these parameters are found to be greatly accelerated by an increase in frequency. In high amplitude fretting, in contrast, gross slip occurs at the interface and wear becomes the dominant damage mode. At these conditions variations in frequency appear to have little effect on fretting wear and related mechanisms. Therefore, in the case of fretting at high displacement amplitudes, it may be possible to apply high frequency fretting to obtain accelerated testing conditions.     

Fretting wear behavior of nanocrystalline surface layer of pure copper under oil lubrication

Lubricated fretting tests in mineral oil were performed with a nanocrystalline surface layer on a pure bulk Cu prepared by surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) against a WC-Co ball. It was found that the nanocrystalline surface layer exhibited a markedly enhanced fretting wear resistance and higher friction coefficient relative to the coarse-grained (CG) form. The wear volume of the SMAT Cu is one order of magnitude lower than that of the CG Cu. The friction coefficient of the SMAT Cu increases with an increasing load and frequency, while for the CG Cu, the friction coefficient increases with an increasing fretting frequency up to 100 Hz and thereafter decreases. The higher hardness of the SMAT Cu is suggested to be the main factor causing its improved wear resistance and higher friction coefficient. A discontinuous metal transfer layer can be found on the WC-Co ball only after fretting against the SMAT Cu, which may partly account for the higher wear resistance of the SMAT Cu in comparison with the CG Cu.     

Fretting wear behaviors of mandibular condylar cartilage of nature temporomandibular joint in vitro

Torsional fretting tests of condylar cartilage against a ZrO₂ ball were carried out. The damage characteristics were discussed based on an analysis of frictional kinetics behavior, SEM observations, and histological stainings. The results indicated that fretting behaviors were strongly dependent on the angular displacement amplitudes and the number of cycles. The worn surface was characterized by netlike shape ridges along the radial direction, and three parts were detected. The wear mechanism of condylar cartilage performed mainly as delamination and micro-fracture of collagenous fibers. As the damage characters are very special, a model of the condylar cartilage surface damage was established.     

Effect of ZDDP on friction in fretting contacts

The effect of ZDDP on fretting wear was investigated in a ball on flat machine. The results confirm previous work that anti-wear agents may reduce friction and wear in fretting contacts. It was further found that temperature, adsorption time, base oil polarity as well as the presence of other surface active additives in the oil were all important parameters affecting the ability of ZDDP to protect the surfaces against fretting wear.     

带有微动磨损缺口钢丝的疲劳特性

在自制的微动磨损试验机上进行钢丝的微动磨损试验,将微动磨损后的钢丝试样在液压伺服疲劳试验机上进行不同应力比和不同应力幅下的疲劳试验。结果表明,钢丝的微动磨损深度随微动时间和接触载荷的增加而增加,磨损缺口处的应力集中使其成为了裂纹萌生源,也使钢丝试样的疲劳寿命大大降低,微动磨损后钢丝试样的疲劳寿命和磨损深度呈反比关系。通过钢丝疲劳断口的SEM形貌分析了其疲劳断裂机制,断口对应不同的疲劳阶段,可分为裂纹萌生区、裂纹扩展区和裂纹瞬断区。     

Comparison between radial fretting and dual-motion fretting features of cortical bone

Fretting tests were carried out to compare the effect of radial and dual-motion modes on wear of cortical bone. A titanium ball was rubbed against fresh human cortical bone under controlled load and motion test conditions. Dual-motion fretting mode produced more severe damage than radial fretting, with more debris occurring at the worn surface. Cracks were abundant in radial fretting and they were significantly affected by the microstructure of cortical bone; this effect was not obvious in the case of the dual-motion fretting mode. Radial fretting test could be used to evaluate the anisotropy of material and crack propagation of brittle cortical bone.     

微动疲劳参数对钢丝微动疲劳磨损演化的影响*

微动疲劳易引起钢丝表面磨损和横截面积损失,进而造成钢丝断裂失效并缩短钢丝绳使用寿命。不同微动疲劳参数（接触载荷、疲劳载荷、钢丝直径和交叉角度）引起差异的钢丝微动疲劳磨损特性,故研究微动疲劳参数对钢丝微动疲劳磨损演化规律影响至关重要。基于摩擦学理论和Marc仿真软件构建钢丝微动疲劳磨损模型,探究接触载荷、疲劳载荷、交叉角度和钢丝直径对钢丝微动疲劳磨损演化的影响规律。结果表明：钢丝微动疲劳磨损体积主要与接触载荷和疲劳载荷有关;疲劳钢丝的磨损深度、磨损率及磨损体积随着接触载荷的增加而增大,且不同接触载荷下疲劳钢丝磨损体积均随着循环次数的增加而呈线性增加;随疲劳载荷幅值的增加,疲劳钢丝的磨损深度、磨损率及磨损体积均呈增加趋势;在不同疲劳载荷范围下疲劳钢丝的磨损体积均随着循环次数的增加而呈线性增加;当接触载荷、疲劳载荷及钢丝间摩擦因数相同时,不同交叉角度和不同加载钢丝直径下疲劳钢丝的磨损体积相同。     

The fretting wear of an austenitic stainless steel in air and in carbon dioxide at elevated temperatures

The development of an experimental test facility designed to investigate the fretting wear of metals in high temperature gaseous atmospheres is described briefly. Small amplitude torsional fretting was produced between normally loaded annular contact surfaces at temperatures up to 650 °C. The information presented concerns the effects produced on fretting a type 321 stainless steel in air and CO₂ environments. Use of electron optical and surface profiling techniques has allowed a qualitative asessment of the degree and characteristic features of the damage to specimens fretted at room temperature and 650 °C under selected oscillatory wear conditions. During simultaneous oxidation and fretting at 650 °C the initially formed protective oxide is disrupted exposing a chromium-depleted surface which subsequently oxidizes to a less protective Fe-Cr spinel. This combination of effects could have unfortunate consequences on the long term wear behaviour.