Research on the Establishment and Collapse of Oxidation-Induced Wear of Steels Under Various Sliding Speeds

Abstract

Dry sliding wear tests were performed for AISI 1045 and H13 steels at various sliding speeds and loads. The morphology and phases on worn surfaces and subsurfaces were investigated by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer, and Raman spectrometer. The motivation for the study is to explore the changes of oxidation-induced wear and the corresponding characteristics under various sliding conditions and hardness values of a carbon steel and an alloy steel. The steel grade and hardness were noticed to strongly affect the establishment and collapse of oxidation-induced wear. The onset of mild oxidation wear was usually accompanied with plasticity-predominated wear. With the increase of sliding speed and load, the wear mechanism changed from plasticity-predominated wear plus mild oxidation wear to mild oxidation wear, then to oxidation wear, and finally to extrusive wear. For the 1045 carbon steel, mild oxidation wear was readily established and enlarged because of its low oxidation resistance. But the oxidation wear (the transition region) was rapidly surpassed to enter extrusive wear with extremely high wear rates. However, for the H13 alloy steel, especially with low hardness, high resistance to thermal softening was helpful to sustain mild oxidation wear and enlarge the oxidation wear; thus, severe wear was forbidden.