THE INFLUENCE OF SURFACE-INDUCED VOLTAGE ON THE WEAR MODE OF STAINLESS-STEEL

In this research lubricated sliding experiments were conducted with soft and hard stainless steels in room-temperature pin-on-disc tests. It was revealed that wear was divided into four regions: normal wear, such as abrasive and adhesive wear; seizure; transitional wear from normal wear to seizure; normal wear covered by oxide film layers. The aims of this research were to clarify the effects of surface induced voltage on each wear mode and to confirm the possibilities of using it for active control of friction and wear behaviour. The experimental results showed that the coefficient of friction and amounts of wear were strongly influenced by surface induced voltage (the sum of the electrostatic charge and the self-generated voltage) measured on a frictional interfacial surface. When surface induced voltage was increased by means of adding the electrostatic charge to the self-generated voltage, a change of wear mode from normal wear to seizure occurred at a higher contact stress. That is to say, the occurrence of seizure could be delayed by means of increasing surface induced voltage. The amount of wear changed drastically in the transitional wear regions because the wear mode changed from normal wear to seizure. With increasing contact stress, the amount of wear gradually increased and then, in the transitional wear region, temporarily decreased then, increased again. A wear model, incorporating surface induced voltage, is purposed that explains the experimental results satisfactorily.