Paper 21: Variations in Friction and Wear between Unlubricated Steel Surfaces

Experiments have been conducted in a normal atmosphere using a 0·25-in diameter mild-steel pin specimen sliding on a 10-in diameter mild-steel disc. The ranges of normal force and speed are 0·5–10·4 lbf and 20–190 ft/s respectively.

Initially the coefficient of friction is comparatively large, and the wear is of the severe metallic form. However, frictional heating causes rapid oxidation of the surfaces and, if the sliding distance is sufficient, the eventual retention of an oxide layer causes a rapid decrease in the coefficient of friction and the wear rate decreases by 3–4 orders of magnitude. At speeds above about 75 ft/s and loads below about 5 lbf the formation, after several hours' sliding, of a continuous oxide layer on the track causes a further reduction in the pin wear rate. At higher loads and/or lower speeds this track condition is not attained.

At speeds of 75 ft/s and above there exists a critical load (the magnitude of which depends on speed) above which periodic removals of the surface film(s) occur producing metallic wear and high friction. However, the subsequent increase in oxidation allows conditions of mild wear to be re-established generally within a few seconds.

The steady-state coefficient of friction has been observed to be a function of load^1/2 × speed, and periodic surface breakdowns found to occur when load¹/² × speed exceeds 170 lbf^1/2 ft/s, the frequency decreasing with increasing load or speed.