Transitional phenomena in the lubricated heavily loaded sliding contact of ceramics and steel

• Published in: Wear Vol. 184; no. 2; pp. 179 - 186
• Main Authors: Khurshudov, Andrew G., Drozdov, Yuri N., Kato, Koji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 01.05.1995; Amsterdam Elsevier Science; New York, NY
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Ceramics; Exact sciences and technology; Friction, wear, lubrication; Machine components; Mechanical engineering. Machine design; Sliding contact; Steel; Steel; Sliding contact; Ceramics; Transient response; Mixed lubrication; Mechanical contact; Rough surface; Experimental study; Lubricating film; Wear; Lubrication; Boundary lubrication; Ceramic materials; Tribology
• ISSN: 0043-1648; 1873-2577
• DOI: 10.1016/0043-1648(94)06568-3

The experimental study of heavily loaded lubricated Si 3N 4-steel and SiC-steel friction pairs has been carried out. Interfacial conditions were changed from boundary to mixed lubrication with an appreciable effect of elastohydrodynamic separation. It was found that the running-in process in the given friction pair is very sensitive to the initial lubricating conditions. The initial value of specific film thickness λ i being less than 0.5 causes both a high wear rate and a high steady-state roughness of contacting surfaces, while a λ i value of 0.5–0.75 corresponds to a significant wear rate and roughness decrease. The critical values of the initial specific film thickness λ c was found for the tested material combinations. If λ i is larger than λ c , then the steady-state specific film thickness λ s is larger than λ i . If not, λ s is smaller than λ i , which corresponds to worsening of the lubrication conditions during the running-in.