Abstract
The running-in of lubricated metal–metal contacts leading to ultra-low wear is inseparably connected with the formation of the third body and vice versa. Adequate tribological stressing provides the system with a power density that leads to complex changes of topography, near-surface morphology and chemical composition. During the running-in these changes proceed until the system shows small friction and ultra-low wear rates and performs stable with low sensitivity to external perturbations. By means of high-resolution wear measurement as well as physical and chemical analysis the capability of a tribological system to develop the third body can be determined. Moreover, the running-in can be controlled by sample finishing, oil additivation and the sequence of initial stressing steps. This contribution summarizes 20 years of own research on ultra-low wear systems and its applications.
Highlights
Wear in modern lubricated mechanical systems—gear boxes, compressors, pumps or combustion engines—is characterized by ultra-low wear rates in the range of nanometers per hour
It was shown by numerous experiments [8,9,10,11,12] that friction and wear behave extremely repeatable provided that the adequate energetic range for the running-in was found
The following conclusions on systems developing ultra-low wear rates can be drawn:
Summary
Wear in modern lubricated mechanical systems—gear boxes, compressors, pumps or combustion engines—is characterized by ultra-low wear rates in the range of nanometers per hour. The asperities start to flow leading to an exchange of material of both friction bodies among one another and with the lubricant. This process is called mechanical intermixing [1]. The third body, as described here, is not a layer on top such as a transfer film, but constitutes newly-formed material in the near-surface of both friction bodies. It is the result of mechano-chemical reactions.
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