Friction characteristics of a ferritic-austenitic stainless steel during lubricated reciprocating motion

Abstract

This report describes friction measurements of stainless steel against stainless steel during lubricated, small-amplitude reciprocating motion. The experimental investigation was divided into two parts. First, four different lubricants were evaluated using a response surface design, during which the average contact pressure and the sliding velocity were varied. Secondly, a 2 4 factorial design with three replicate runs was performed. Here, the coefficient of friction in the initial stage and the duration of that stage were studied. The independent variables were the average contact pressure, sliding velocity, surface roughness and type of lubricant. In the early state (stage I), the value of the frictional force is controlled by plowing of the surfaces by asperities. In many lubricated contacts, this is the practically useful stage. The experimental results from the response surface design show that the duration of stage I depends on the type of lubricant. Adhesive wear can take place before 100 cycles. The factorial design indicates that the coefficient of friction in the initial stage is affected by the type of lubricant, surface roughness and the simultaneous change of the surface roughness and type of lubricant. The duration of the initial stage is affected by a change in the surface roughness, average contact pressure and a simultaneous change in average contact pressure and surface roughness. A two-parameter Weibull analysis was performed on the data from the factorial design. For the tests where lubricant no. 3 was used, a mixed distribution was indicated for the duration of stage I. This mixed distribution indicates that a weakest-link process as well as a healing process were involved.