Wear-mechanism maps

The potential of Wear-Mechanism Diagrams is explored. Diagrams which show the rate and the regime of dominance of each of a number of mechanisms of dry wear (delamination, mild and severe oxidation, melting, seizure, etc.)are constructed empirically ( that is, from experimental data alone) and by modelling ( by theoretical analysis calibrated to experiment). The method is applied to steels, and has wider application as a way of classifying and ordering wear data, and of showing the relationships between competing wear mechanisms.