Frictional properties of structural steel JN2 at cryogenic temperatures in a vacuum

To assess the frictional properties at the wedge of a toroidal field coil of a tokamak fusion reactor, friction tests were conducted using structural steel, JN2, against various materials in a vacuum at low temperatures under a normal load of 10 N and a peak-to-peak sliding amplitude of 100 μm. The temperature was mainly ≈ 5 K and the ambient pressure ≈ 10⁻³ Pa. The relationship between the frictional characteristics and the number of cycles depends on both the material combination and temperature. Two typical patterns of behaviour were observed at 5 K depending on the combination; fairly constant friction and very high and fluctuating friction. The high friction was caused by severe adhesion between surfaces. Temperature dependence of friction was also observed for JN2-copper.