Abstract
In this review, we discuss our recent advances in modeling adhesive wear mechanisms using coarse-grained atomistic simulations. In particular, we present how a model pair potential reveals the transition from ductile shearing of an asperity to the formation of a debris particle. This transition occurs at a critical junction size, which determines the particle size at its birth. Atomistic simulations also reveal that for nearby asperities, crack shielding mechanisms result in a wear volume proportional to an effective area larger than the real contact area. As the density of microcontacts increases with load, we propose this crack shielding mechanism as a key to understand the transition from mild to severe wear. We conclude with open questions and a road map to incorporate these findings in mesoscale continuum models. Because these mesoscale models allow an accurate statistical representation of rough surfaces, they provide a simple means to interpret classical phenomenological wear models and wear coefficients from physics-based principles.
Highlights
In 1995, when Meng and Ludema [1] reviewed an extensive literature of around 300 equations for friction and wear, times were dire for tribology
We summarize the findings of a recent paper [27] in which we demonstrate that in the presence of strong adhesive forces, the frictional work is a good predictor of wear volume at the single asperity level, instead of the normal force component as used in Archard’s wear law
Examining a range of simulation parameters, we found that the size of the asperity contact junction and the strength of the adhesive bond dictate the adhesive wear mechanism
Summary
In 1995, when Meng and Ludema [1] reviewed an extensive literature of around 300 equations for friction and wear, times were dire for tribology. A major disadvantage is that they do not give insights on molecular mechanisms, and struggle to handle the large deformations, tearing, breaking and mixing of materials resulting from wear processes. This challenge of scales has motivated us to work at an intermediate scale, denoted here by mesoscale, and to revisit the classical Archard wear law. The present manuscript reviews and discusses the implications of our recent results It is organized in two steps: we will first describe our efforts at capturing the atomistic mechanisms leading to the formation of wear debris. We examine the microcontact maps and obtain a direct measure of the wear coefficient for Archard’s wear law [29]
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