The running-in phase of mechanical systems is critical from a tribological standpoint, though poorly understood. Microcracks accelerate material failure and wear during this phase of heightened friction. With this in mind, the ultimate goal of this current work is to transfer the running-in phase into the final step of the mechanical finishing process through the targeted pre-conditioning of novel, high toughness steel bearings without thermo-chemical treatments and compare these to conventional, case-hardened steels. This pre-conditioning involved the targeted implementation of two specific lubricant packages, the first with CaCO3 as the active ingredient and the second with MoDTC as the active ingredient, to generate chemically reactive tribolayers (tribofilms) on twin disk testing rigs. Pre-conditioning was carried out up to 104 load cycles (approximately 25 min). The films generated in pre-conditioning were analyzed by SEM-EDX with Element-Mapping, Raman spectroscopy, and XPS to elucidate their molecular composition and concentration on the sample surfaces. The combination of these methods of analysis gave a clear indication that 104 cycles were sufficient to generate stable chemical tribofilms. CaO and CaCO3 were the main components of the tribofilm from the first lubricant package, while MoS2, MoO2 and MoO3 were the main components from the second lubricant package. Tribofilm-protected samples were then subjected to slip-rolling endurance testing (T=+120 °C, 10,000,000 cycles, approximately 19 days in a factory fill engine oil) to determine any changes in friction behavior or wear performance. Some significant reductions in coefficients of friction at the end of endurance testing were observed, though in certain cases, no definitive improvement was observed. In contrast, very strong reductions in wear were observed across the entire spectrum of materials and testing loads. In some cases, sample surface wear reduction from pre-conditioning via tribofilms reached over 90%. The observed improvements to friction behavior and wear performance are indicative of a technically simple, cost- and energy-efficient pre-conditioning method that may prove to be competitive with existing thermochemical treatments for steel alloys.
Das tribologische Profil von binderlosem NbC und mit 8% bzw. mit 12% Cobalt oder 12% Fe3Al gebundenem NbC wird unter unidirektionaler Gleitreibung (v= 0,1-10 m/s, T= 22°C und 400°C) und unter oszillierender Gleitreibung vergleichend gegenüber Ingenieurkeramiken und Hartmetallen dargestellt. Zusätzlich werden die 4-Punkt-Biegebruchfestigkeit, elastische Eigenschaften (E,G) bis 1.000�C die lastabhängige Mikrohärte sowie die Phasenzusammensetzung und Gefügestrukturen vorgestellt. Die Verschleißkoeffizienten des binderlosen NbC lagen bei T unterhalb von 10-6 mm³/N?m, während diejenigen der cobaltgebundenen NbCs mit ansteigender Gleitgeschwindigkeit von 2-4 10-6 mm³/N?m bei 0,1 m/s auf 5-7 10-7 mm³/N.m bei 10 m/s abnahmen. Die Verschleißkoeffizienten bei 400°C lagen für die NbCs generell unterhalb von 10-6 mm³/N.m. Das tribologische Lasttragevermögen im Trockenlauf, ausgedrückt als PV-Wert, nimmt mit ansteigender Gleitgeschwindigkeit auf 100 W/mm² zu. Bedingt durch die geringe Löslichkeit von NbC in Legierungen offenbarten erste Zerspanversuche mit verschiedenen Stählen eine gegenüber WC-basierten Schneidstoffen signifikant angehobene Zerspanungsvolumina. Somit offenbart NbC in offenen und geschlossenen Tribosystemen Anwendungspotentiale.
This paper shows how Angle-Resolved Scattering can reveal wear on engineered surfaces. The samples studied, three discs made of steel 100Cr6H used in gear wheels in the automotive industry, were assessed after they had undergone ball-on-disc tests. Scattering maps recorded for spatial frequencies from 0.1 µm-1 to 2.7 µm-1 show a contrast inversion around 0.36 µm-1 revealing the wear trace. Besides measurements of rms roughness, where mean values are 20 nm and 24 nm depending on the locations considered, stationarity and isotropy, we demonstrate the ability of the technique to reveal localized wear on this type of surface in a rapid, robust and convenient way. We show that the tool trace is influenced by the load magnitude rather than by the number of oscillation cycles and highlight the key role played by surface roughness in how the sample responds to wear tests.