Sliding wear of quasicrystalline coatings

The mass loss during sliding wear of several quasicrystalline (QC) coatings has been measured. QC coatings of the Al–Cu–Fe, Al–Cu–Fe–Cr and Al–Pd–Mn systems have been investigated and compared with a hardened tool steel and a WC–6% Co hardmetal. The wear rates of the coatings are in general comparable to conventional metallic materials. There is some variation in sliding wear behaviour of different QC coatings. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Sliding wear performance of different polyimide formulations

Sliding wear studies on different polyimide (PI) formulations against hardened, smooth steel were conducted using a pin-on-ring testing facility. Contact pressure p was varied in such a way that for three different sliding velocities v (0.6, 1.5 and 3.0 m s⁻¹) two pv levels could be maintained (1.7 and 5.0 MPa m s⁻¹). The best results were achieved with a PI formulation containing 15 wt% graphite filler and 10 wt% fluorocarbon resin having a wear factor

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. This material was also superior to newly developed high performance thermoplastics, in particular polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and thermotropic liquid crystal polymers (LCP), even when the latter contained about 20 vol.% of short glass or carbon fibre reinforcement.     

A system for wear prediction in lubricated sliding contacts

A system of analysis is developed to predict the rate of wear in sliding contacts. The essence of the approach is the proposal that the rate of wear can be predicted only in probabilistic terms. Therefore, the estimation of the probability of wear, which can be regarded as synonymous with the probability of surface asperity contacts, precedes the calculation of the wear rate. Further, recognising the fact that wear takes place within the actual area of contact, it is argued that this area consists of plastic and elastic contacts between asperities which, in turn, have different shear strengths and contribute differently to the wear process. In the case of lubricated contact, a frictional film defect represents the influence of a lubricant on the wear process. Moreover, as in this type of contact the load is supported by both lubricating film and contacting asperities, a special procedure is provided to estimate the load supported by the asperities, because it is only that part of the load which contributes to the wear. The catastrophic form of wear in lubricated contacts, that is termed ‘scuffing’, is also considered, and the probability of scuffing, under a given set of operating conditions, is estimated. The predictive system has been tested and its predictions are compared with available experimental results.     

Sliding metallic wear test with in-process wear measurement: A new approach to collecting and applying wear data

A wear test is described in which the edge of a hard wedge is loaded against the periphery of a rotating disc of softer specimen material. The applied normal load is kept approximately constant during a test. As the test progresses and the disc diameter is reduced by the wear taking place the wedge moves radially inward. By measuring this inward movement during a test it is shown how the wear can be continually monitored. Results are given and it is shown how these might be applied in practice, taking into account the influence of both surface roughness and lubrication.     

Characterization of wear scar surfaces using combined three-dimensional topographic analysis and contact resistance measurements

In this paper, a technique for the quantitative characterization of wear scar surfaces, using combined three-dimensional topographical analysis and contact resistance measurements, is introduced. Parameters for the characterization of wear surfaces, developed during sliding of pin-on-disk specimens in oxygen at high temperature, such as wear volume, roughness, average wear depth on the disk specimen, surface coverage by wear-protective oxide layers and their distributions over the wear surface, are presented and calculated. Such analyses provide more effective data for the analysis of wear processes and wear mechanisms.This method has been applied to the analysis of dry reciprocating sliding wear of a nickel-base alloy, N80A, at temperatures to 600°C. It was found that there was usually a difference between the wear rates of the pin and the disk. This difference increased with increase in temperature, the wear of the pin being much less than that of the disk at the higher temperatures. Although the total wear of both the pin and the disk decreased considerably with increase in temperature, the damage to the disk, judged by the wear depth of the scar, was much higher at elevated temperatures than at low temperatures. The roughnesses of the wear surfaces generally increased with increase in temperature. Less than 50% coverage of the scar surfaces by wear-protective oxide layers was sufficient for the severe-to-mild wear transition. However, the distribution of the wear-protective layers over the wear surfaces was non-uniform. Most of them were concentrated near the centre of the scar, along the sliding direction, under the present conditions. These features of the wear scar surfaces were mainly related to the adhesion and compaction of wear debris particles onto the wear surfaces, leading to development of the wear-protective layers at the various temperatures.     

Sliding wear behaviour of some Fe-, Co- and Ni-based metallic glasses during rubbing against bearing steel

The sliding wear behaviour of several compositions of Fe-, Co- and Ni-based metallic glasses have been studied while rubbing against AISI 52100 bearing steel under reciprocating-sliding conditions. The wear resistances of Fe-based metallic glasses and Ni-based metallic glass (MBF 50) have been found to be superior to that of the mating AISI 52100 bearing steel. The examination of worn surfaces indicates that the superior wear resistance of metallic glasses is not merely owing to their high hardness but it is determined by phenomena of material transfer vis-à-vis the mating material and the formation of protective oxide layers on the metallic-glass surface during sliding. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Characterization of wear protective coatings

Arising from the necessity and the suitableness of wear protection by coatings, common coating techniques and treatment procedures are presented in a survey. For evaluation of the effectiveness of these anti-wear coatings a testing process was proposed consisting of three parts: (1) a test procedure to simulate the basic wear mechanisms; (2) investigations of the tribologically relevant material properties; (3) an integral wear test procedure. Taking thermal sprayed coatings and electrolytic depositions as examples, the characterization procedure is explained. The test systems designed at the Technical University Chemnitz-Zwickau for simulation of the basic mechanisms of adhesive and abrasive wear and long-term fatigue-wear are described with regard to the functional principle, the structure and the parameters to be ascertained.     

Sliding wear behaviour of an electrochemically modified austenitic high-nitrogen steel surface

Wear debris from artificial metallic implant joints is known to provoke detrimental foreign-body reactions in the surrounding human tissue. Although commonly used biotolerant metals generate only a little amount of particles, wear is still a major cause for concern. It is the aim of this work to evaluate the sliding wear resistance of a topologically modified high-nitrogen austenitic stainless steel. A disc-on-pin test in self-mating contact is performed in distilled water. Submicron particles are trapped by the structured topography and form together with the plastically deformed metal a hybrid surface which has the potential to significantly improve the tribological behaviour of the tested high-nitrogen steel.     

Sliding friction and wear of magnesium alloy AZ91D produced by two different methods

Alloy AZ91D is a leading magnesium alloy used for structural applications. It contains aluminum and zinc as principal alloying elements. This alloy is normally die-cast, but recent developments in semi-solid injection molding (Thixomolding^®), which offers certain processing advantages, produces a slightly different microstructure than die-casting, and it was of interest to determine whether the two processing routes would measurably affect the friction and wear of AZ91D. The present work involved ambient air, room temperature testing of die-cast (DC) and Thixomolded^® (ThM) AZ91D, in both unidirectional and reciprocating sliding motion, using stainless steel type 440C as the counterface. After running-in, the average sliding friction coefficients in both types of test fell into the range of 0.29–0.35, irrespective of processing method. The formation of a built-up edge raised the friction slightly in unidirectional tests compared with reciprocating tests. The average wear rate of the ThM alloys in reciprocating sliding was approximately 25% lower than that for DC alloys. However, the wear rates of the magnesium specimens in unidirectional sliding were comparable for DC and ThM materials. Owing to the transfer of magnesium, there was no measurable wear on the stainless steel 440C balls. The wear mechanism during sliding involves the formation of thin, narrow shards along the edges of wear grooves which break off to produce loose particles.     

Examination of wear debris produced using a four-ball machine

The original aim of this work was to identify characteristic wear debris from systems which scuff. The wear debris was identified but could not be considered characteristic as similar debris has been observed in delamination wear. During the metallographic examination of scuffed surfaces, a featureless white layer both on and below the surface was observed. This white layer was similar to adiabatic shear bands. It is suggested that the white layer is a form of microscopic friction weld between asperities. This implies that scuffing is a result of hot welding rather than cold welding, as accepted at present. The tests showed that the trapping and subsequent adhesion of wear debris onto the contact surfaces is a negligible factor in the overall wear process in this system.     

Sliding wear behavior of stainless steel parts made by metal injection molding (MIM)

The wear resistance of stainless steel parts, which were fabricated by a metal injection molding (MIM) process, was studied under self-mating, dry sliding conditions, using a pin-on-disk type wear configuration. The materials used were an austenitic stainless steel 316L (of MIM and wrought steel), a precipitated stainless steel 17-4PH (of MIM and wrought steel) and a widely used ball-bearing steel (DIN 100Cr6). Two surface conditions, i.e. as sintered and as polished, were considered in the wear tests of the MIM samples. In summary, the wear resistance of 316L was lower than 17-4PH, and the latter was almost the same as 100Cr6. Further, the wrought materials showed a better wear resistance than the MIM materials. The mechanisms responsible for these tendencies were discussed by means of microscopical observations and chemical inspections of the worn surfaces and the microstructures of the samples.     

Mechanical wear behaviour of copper-base alloys

In an endeavour towards better understanding of the mechanical wear behaviour of copper and of the influence of the main contributing variables on it, wear test were carried out on some copper alloys with different percentages of alloying elements. The investigation concludes and confirms that mechanical wear increases with load and sliding speed both with and without lubricant. Results reveal that the resistance to wear of alloys may be improved by increasing their strength, toughness and hardness and by decreasing the Young's modulus of elasticity, which can be obtained by controlling the type and amount of alloying elements.     

QPQ表面改性层和镀铬层干摩擦状态下磨损特性的研究

在M-2000型摩擦磨损试验机上,对QPQ表面改性层和镀铬层干摩擦状态下的滑动摩擦特性进行对比试验研究,在扫描电子显微镜下观察磨痕的微观形貌,分析2种处理层的磨损机制。结果表明,在磨合阶段,QPQ表面改性层的磨损量较镀铬层的大,而在稳定磨损阶段,QPQ表面改性层的磨损率和摩擦因数均小于镀铬层;在磨合阶段,QPQ表面改性层的磨损机制主要为轻微的磨粒磨损和黏着磨损,镀铬层主要为严重的磨粒磨损,而在稳定磨损阶段,QPQ表面改性层的磨损机制主要为氧化磨损,镀铬层主要为黏着磨损。     

Sliding wear of TiC–NiMo cermets

The friction and wear properties of TiC–NiMo/steel rubbing pairs were investigated under dry condition. The sliding wear tests were carried out on the testing device at a velocity of 2.2 m/s and a load of 40 N. The volume wear increases with increase of the sliding distance as predicted by Archard’s equation. The wear coefficient of the cermets reduces with the increase of TiC and Mo content in the composite. The study has shown that the coefficient of friction was approximately the same for all the samples. The main wear mechanism in the TiC–NiMo cermets was micro-abrasion (polishing) and adhesive wear. At the initial stages of wear, adhesive wear characteristics featured by mild scratching and plastic smearing were observed on the worn surface, but at the later stages, contact fatigue failure of a relatively thick surface layer takes place.     

The laboratory simulation of abrasive wear

Abrasive wear has long been recognised as one of the most potentially serious tribological problems facing the operators of many types of plant and machinery; several industrial surveys have indicated that wear by abrasion can be responsible for more than 50% of unscheduled machine and plant stoppages. Locating the operating point of a tribological contact in an appropriate operational ‚map’︁ can provide a useful guide to the likely nature and origins of the surface degradation experienced in use, though care must be exercised in choosing the most suitable parameters for the axes of the plot. Laboratory testing of materials and simulations of machine contacts are carried out for a number of purposes; at one level for the very practical aims of ranking candidate materials or surface hardening treatments in order of their wear resistance, or in an attempt to predict wear lives under field conditions. More fundamentally, tests may be aimed at elucidating the essential physical mechanisms of surface damage and loss, with the longer term aim of building an analytical and predictive model of the wear process itself. In many cases, component surface damage is brought about by the ingress of hard, particulate matter into machine bearing or sealing clearances. These may be running dry although, more usually, a lubricant or service fluid is present at the interface. A number of standardised wear test geometries and procedures have been established for both two- and three-body wear situations, and these are briefly described. Although abrasive wear is often modelled as following an ‚Archard’︁ equation (i.e. a linear increase in material loss with both load and time, and an inverse dependence on specimen hardness) both industrial experience and laboratory tests of particularly lubricated contacts show that this is not always the case: increasing the hardness differential in an abrasively contaminated lubricated pair may not always reduce the rate of damage to the harder surface.     

Sliding and abrasive wear behaviour of boride coatings

Polyphase boride coatings constituted by an inner layer of Fe₂B and an outer layer of FeB were thermochemically grown on iron and medium carbon steel by a pack cementation process. The tribological behaviour of borided samples was investigated under both sliding and abrasion testing conditions. Considerably different values of wear rate were found in different regions of the coatings. The differences were explained on the basis of the crystallographic order of iron borides. The resistance to both types of wear was initially poor due to the presence on the coatings of a thin, friable layer constituted by disordered crystals. Then the resistance increased to a maximum value in regions constituted by compact, highly ordered crystals of Fe₂B. The resistance to dry sliding of borided samples was better than that displayed by samples submitted to alternative surface treatments (e.g. gas nitriding) and lower that that measured for a WC-Co hard metal coating.     

The effects of lubricant additives on wear and scuffing resistance of copper alloys under boundary conditions

The effects of lubricant additives on alloy composition and structure, and on the wear and scuffing resistance of copper alloys, were investigated. The copper alloys used were Sn bronze, Sn-Zn-Pb bronze, Al-Fe bronze, and Si-Mn brass. The base oil used was straight mineral oil. The additives used were dimer acid, phosphonate ester, sulphide olefine cotton-seed oil, ZDDP and n-dibutyl phosphite. The test results revealed that Si-Mn brass shows the highest resistance to wear and scuffing, and Sn-Zn-Pb the lowest. It also revealed that oiliness additives are superior in wear and tear scuffing resistance to EP additives, especially sulphur-containing additives. The authors also noted that copper alloys show good resistance to wear and scuffing when coupled with a polished steel surface.     

GCr15微动磨损转向往复滑动磨损特性的研究

对GCr15金属球和平面试块在300N的法向力作用下作了从微动磨损向往复滑动磨损转变的试验研究，对摩擦磨损过程中的磨损系数、摩擦力变化特性、磨痕的轮廓进行了分析研究。结果表明，在微动磨同往复滑动磨损转变前后，除磨损系数出现突变外，摩擦系数和磨痕的轮廓形貌也发生了比较大的变化，磨损转变过渡区的范围为70－100μm。     

Effect of temperature fields on wear of nonmetallic materials at abrasive machining

Wear characteristics of silicate glass and sapphire at abrasive machining have been studied. The data obtained and the analysis of images of worn surfaces have allowed the authors to conclude that two modes of material damage run simultaneously; these are the local melting of the glass followed by its squeezing towards the contact exit and periodical fatigue fracture (growth of microcracks). Under a short-term effect of high thermal stresses the glass was found to undergo thermal cracking even outside the contact site. The crystalline material (sapphire) demonstrated anisotropy of fatigue strength under abrasive wear, when its wear rate in two perpendicular directions differed almost by an order of magnitude. The possibility of sapphire damage outside the contact site is explained by the position of the maximal surface temperature region being some distance ahead of the zone of the abrasive tool-blank contact.     

A chemical study of wear particles and other features associated with the wear of ceramics

A sapphire convex surface was loaded against a reciprocating flat SiC counterface material. In this particular study the chemical nature of the wear surfaces and associated features such as the wear debris and local areas of material transfer have been studied using analytical techniques such as EDX, XPS and AES. Prior to wear tests the SiC substrate is covered with a thin (1–2 nm) layer of SiO₂. During wear the thickness of this layer is substantially reduced, and wear debris of a cylindrical morphology is produced. Examination of the outer 1–2 μm of the wear debris, as well as the first few atomic layers, by EDX and AES, respectively, showed very similar results in areas rich in oxygen accompanied by varying quantities of Al and Si but litte carbon. It is proposed that the wear debris is initially produced by the fragmentation of asperities on the two wear surfaces followed by the transfer of a wear film of SiO₂. Such equiaxed debris is then agglomerated into a characteristic cylindrical particle that lies normal to the reciprocating motion.