Wear of Unlubricated Steel Surfaces in Sliding Contact

Observations have been made of the wear from an SAE 1113 steel pin specimen rubbing on a SAE 113 steel disk in a normal laboratory atmosphere in relation to normal load (0.5–10.4 lbf), slidinq speed (21–188 ft/sec), sliding distance and track history. As a function of sliding distance, three regions are observed; (i) initial severe wear, (ii) mild wear resultinq from the formation of oxide layers on both the pin specimen and transferred particles adhering to the track, (iii) a milder wear, due to the attainment of a uniform track condition. The wear rate measured in (ii) is observed to be proportional to normal load for constant (normal load)^1/2 × (sliding speed) provided that the magnitude of this parameter is insufficient to cause periodic removal of the surface film. This conclusion is shown to be compatible with earlier theoretical predictions when the presence of an oxide layer was pre-supposed. Unlike the coefficient of friction which is primarily determined by the pin surface condition only, the pin wear rate depends on the conditions of both the pin and track surface.