Changes In Frictional Behavior Research Articles

Dynamic friction behavior of ultrananocrystalline diamond films: A depth-resolved chemical phase analysis

Investigation of dynamic changes in friction behavior of ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) films is a complex mainly because of the rapid change in chemical composition at the sliding interfaces. To address this issue, for the first time, we report chemical phase analysis of transferfilm using the depth-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) technique. The friction coefficient of the UNCD films was high during the initial run-in regime, but it gradually decreased to an ultralow value after longer sliding cycles at the ambient atmospheric tribo-condition. Depth-resolved XPS analysis showed a higher sp3/sp2 carbon ratio during the initial run-in regime. This ratio decreased with increasing sliding cycles and consequently the friction coefficient decreased. However, a higher value of the friction coefficient throughout the run-in regime persisted at the high-vacuum tribo-condition. In this case, the sp3/sp2 carbon ratio inside the transferfilm was quite high and no considerable changes were observed in the depth-resolved XPS analysis. This investigation confirmed that the dynamic friction behavior in UNCD films was manipulated by the sp3/sp2 carbon ratio inside the transferfilm which showed tribo-atmospheric dependence.

Robust adaptive integral backstepping control for opto-electronic tracking system based on modified LuGre friction model

This paper presents a robust adaptive integral backstepping control strategy with friction compensation for realizing accurate and stable control of opto-electronic tracking system in the presence of nonlinear friction and external disturbance. With the help of integral control term to decrease the steady-state error of the system and combining robust adaptive control approach with the backstepping design method, a novel control method is constructed. Nonlinear modified LuGre observer is designed to estimate friction behavior. Robust adaptive integral backstepping control strategy is developed to compensate the changes in friction behavior and external disturbance of the servo system. The stability of the opto-electronic tracking system is proved by Lyapunov criterion. The performance of robust adaptive integral backstepping controller is verified by the opto-electronic tracking system with modified LuGre model in simulation and practical experiments. Compared to the adaptive integral backstepping sliding mode control method, the root mean square of angle error is reduced by 26.6% when the proposed control method is used. The experiment results demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed strategy.

Optimization of pre-conditioned cold work hardening of steel alloys for friction and wear reductions under slip-rolling contact

The goal of reducing CO2 emissions in the automobile industry has led to the development of increasingly efficient lightweight material solutions that yield enhanced performance. In light of this goal, this current work involves the optimization of the pre-conditioning of novel, high toughness steel bearings without thermo-chemical treatments, with the aim of transferring the running-in phase into the final step of the mechanical finishing process. A case-hardened gear steel and two novel non-case-hardened steels were evaluated. Pre-conditioning was carried out by running cylindrical sample disks against tungsten carbide rollers on a twin-disk test rig to generate cold work hardening in the contact zone of the cylindrical disks. Subsequent analyses of the pre-conditioned samples indicated strong increases in localized hardness and stable compressive residual stresses. Cold work hardened sample disks were then run against untreated spherical counterbodies of identical alloy in slip-rolling endurance testing to evaluate changes in friction behavior and wear performance as a result of pre-conditioning. Initially, the non-case-hardened alternative alloys experienced premature critical material failure in endurance testing, which indicated that an optimization of pre-conditioning parameters would be necessary. Consequently, new tungsten carbide rollers with more gradual radius of curvature were implemented. Additionally, lubricant temperature and rotational speed were increased to optimize the material residual stress profiles. Endurance testing of optimally pre-conditioned samples showed that the optimization ultimately yielded strong reductions in both friction and wear: coefficient of friction values of under 0.04 were reached, rivaling alloy-equivalent DLC vs. DLC contacts, and wear coefficients of less than 1/10 of those for the untreated alloy pairings were achieved.

Effect of high energy X-ray irradiation on the nano-mechanical properties of human enamel and dentine.

Radiotherapy for malignancies in the head and neck can cause common complications that can result in tooth damage that are also known as radiation caries. The aim of this study was to examine damage to the surface topography and calculate changes in friction behavior and the nano-mechanical properties (elastic modulus, nanohardness and friction coefficient) of enamel and dentine from extracted human third molars caused by exposure to radiation. Enamel and dentine samples from 50 human third molars were randomly assigned to four test groups or a control group. The test groups were exposed to high energy X-rays at 2 Gy/day, 5 days/week for 5 days (10 Gy group), 15 days (30 Gy group), 25 days (50 Gy group), 35 days (70 Gy group); the control group was not exposed. The nanohardness, elastic modulus, and friction coefficient were analyzed using a Hysitron Triboindenter. The nano-mechanical properties of both enamel and dentine showed significant dose-response relationships. The nanohardness and elastic modulus were most variable between 30-50 Gy, while the friction coefficient was most variable between 0-10 Gy for dentine and 30-50 Gy for enamel. After exposure to X-rays, the fracture resistance of the teeth clearly decreased (rapidly increasing friction coefficient with increasing doses under the same load), and they were more fragile. These nano-mechanical changes in dental hard tissue may increase the susceptibility to caries. Radiotherapy caused nano-mechanical changes in dentine and enamel that were dose related. The key doses were 30-50 Gy and the key time points occurred during the 15th-25th days of treatment, which is when application of measures to prevent radiation caries should be considered.

Seismic properties of the Nazca oceanic crust in southern Peruvian subduction system

The horizontal Nazca slab, extending over a distance of ∼800 km along the trench is one of enigmatic features in Peruvian subduction zone. Increased buoyancy of the oceanic lithosphere alone due to the subduction of Nazca Ridge is insufficient to fully explain such a lengthy segment. We use data from the recent seismic experiment in southern Peru to find that the subduction-related hydration plays a major role in controlling shear wave velocities within the upper part of the oceanic crust and overlying materials. We observe substantial velocity reductions of ∼20–40% near the top plate interface along- and perpendicular-to the trench from ∼40–120 km depths. In particular, significant shear wave velocity reductions and subsequently higher P-to-S velocity ratio (exceeding 2.0) at the flat slab region suggest that the seismically probed layer is fluid-rich and mechanically weak. The dominant source of fluid comes from metasediments and subducted crust (Nazca Ridge). Long-term supply of fluid from the southward migrating Nazca Ridge provides additional buoyancy of the subducting oceanic lithosphere and also lowers the viscosity of the overlying mantle wedge to drive and sustain the flat plate segment of ∼800 km along the trench. Also, by comparing calculated seismic velocities with experimentally derived mineral physics data, we additionally provide mechanical constraints on the possible changes in frictional behavior across the subduction zone plate interface. Observed low seismic velocities in the seismogenic zone suggest a presence of low strength materials that may be explained by overpressured pore fluids (i.e., accreted sediment included in the subduction channel).

Friction and wear reductions under slip-rolling contact through chemically reactive tribofilm generation during pre-conditioning of steel alloys

The running-in phase of mechanical systems is critical from a tribological standpoint, though poorly understood. Microcracks accelerate material failure and wear during this phase of heightened friction. With this in mind, the ultimate goal of this current work is to transfer the running-in phase into the final step of the mechanical finishing process through the targeted pre-conditioning of novel, high toughness steel bearings without thermo-chemical treatments and compare these to conventional, case-hardened steels. This pre-conditioning involved the targeted implementation of two specific lubricant packages, the first with CaCO3 as the active ingredient and the second with MoDTC as the active ingredient, to generate chemically reactive tribolayers (tribofilms) on twin disk testing rigs. Pre-conditioning was carried out up to 104 load cycles (approximately 25min). The films generated in pre-conditioning were analyzed by SEM-EDX with Element-Mapping, Raman spectroscopy, and XPS to elucidate their molecular composition and concentration on the sample surfaces. The combination of these methods of analysis gave a clear indication that 104 cycles were sufficient to generate stable chemical tribofilms. CaO and CaCO3 were the main components of the tribofilm from the first lubricant package, while MoS2, MoO2 and MoO3 were the main components from the second lubricant package. Tribofilm-protected samples were then subjected to slip-rolling endurance testing (T=+120°C, 10,000,000 cycles, approximately 19 days in a factory fill engine oil) to determine any changes in friction behavior or wear performance. Some significant reductions in coefficients of friction at the end of endurance testing were observed, though in certain cases, no definitive improvement was observed. In contrast, very strong reductions in wear were observed across the entire spectrum of materials and testing loads. In some cases, sample surface wear reduction from pre-conditioning via tribofilms reached over 90%. The observed improvements to friction behavior and wear performance are indicative of a technically simple, cost- and energy-efficient pre-conditioning method that may prove to be competitive with existing thermochemical treatments for steel alloys.

Strength of Granular Materials in Transient and Steady State Rapid Shear

This paper discusses relationships between the frictional strength of a flowing granular material and quantities including porosity and grain-scale energy dissipation. The goal of the paper is to foster an understanding of frictional strength that will facilitate the development of constitutive laws incorporating important physical processes. This is accomplished in several steps. First, a friction relationship is derived for a steady state simple shear flow using an energy balance approach. The relationship shows that friction is explicitly related to porosity, grain connectivity, and grain-scale dissipation rates. Next, the friction relationship is extended to describe transient changes in frictional behavior. The relationship shows that, in addition to the processes important for steady flows, the rate of dilatation and changes in internal energy play a role in the frictional strength of a granular material away from steady state. Finally, numerical simulations are performed to illustrate the accuracy of the friction relationships and illuminate important scaling behavior. The discussion of numerical simulations focuses on the rate-dependence of frictional strength and the partition of macroscopic energy dissipation into its grain-scale components. New interpretations of existing constitutive laws and ideas for new constitutive laws are discussed.

Structural changes and tribological performance of thermosetting polyimide induced by proton and electron irradiation

The structural changes and tribological performance of thermosetting polyimide were investigated by electron, proton or both combined irradiations at 25 keV in a ground-based simulation facility. Three forms of irradiations could lead to the formation of the carbonized layer on the polymer surface that could increase the hardness and adhesive force of the material. Proton irradiation induced more extensive changes in structure and friction behavior than electron irradiation by reason of the higher linear energy transfer value, and combined irradiation resulted in the largest impact, but which was less than the sum of the radiation effects of electron and proton. Moreover, the experimental results indicated that the changes in friction behavior are closely related with the carbonized layer, which was easily worn out in friction process and could introduce a shift from adhesion wear to three-body abrasive wear that reduced the wear rate and the friction coefficient. The friction process of irradiated samples could be divided into the initial stage and the steady stage. Three forms of irradiations all induced the high friction coefficient in the initial stage and the low friction coefficient in the steady stage, and the wear rate of the irradiated samples decreased in the order: electron irradiation>proton irradiation>combined irradiation.

Frictional Behaviors of a Mild Steel and a TRIP780 Steel Under a Wide Range of Contact Stress and Sliding Speed

The application of advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) generally makes it necessary to use higher tool-sheet contact pressures compared with those used for forming low-strength steel, and it leads to significant changes in frictional behavior, which in turn change the final product characteristics. In order to understand frictional behaviors between steel sheets and tool materials under high contact stresses present in real stamping conditions, a novel friction tester was conceived, fabricated, and used. This tester can generate high normal loads, as high as 625 MPa, whereas traditional friction testers were limited to 10 MPa or less. A mild steel and a TRIP780 steel were paired with Cr-coated D2 tool steel, and friction behaviors were observed under various conditions, including the use of two lubricants, wide ranges of sliding speeds, and normal contact stresses. The coefficient of friction (COF) decreased at a low contact pressure as the sliding velocity increased. The contact pressure had a significant effect, albeit too complex to be explained by simple models. It was also evident that lubricant effects must be studied coupled with the contact pressure and sliding speed. In a nonlubricated condition at normal stresses roughly half of the steel’s yield strength, the friction event caused plastic deformation that reached up to 0.2 mm from the surface. In this deformed region, the amount of retained austenite in the TRIP steel decreased substantially, and significant residual compressive stress, reaching 350 MPa, also developed in the ferrite phase (plus a minor amount of martensite, which is undistinguishable from ferrite by the X-ray diffraction method used herein). The magnitude of change of friction constant due to changes in contact conditions was enough to significantly affect springback of automotive body panels.

Different responses of several kinds of copolymerized polyimide films to ultraviolet irradiation

The surfaces of three kinds of copolymerized polyimide films were irradiated by ultraviolet (UV) light. The chemical composition changes of the films after irradiation were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), while their topographical changes were studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Besides, the surface topographical variation induced changes in friction behavior were recorded on a DF·PM unidirectional friction and wear test rig in a ball on block contact configuration. It was found that photodegradation took place, which induced the chain scission of the polyimide molecules and formation of low molecular weight oxidized material (LMWOM). Due to different photostability of the three kinds of polyimide, different chemical composition changes and forms of “LMWOM” were observed. Also, different friction behavior variations of the three kinds of polyimide films were recorded. It is thought that the polyimide film of PI (PPA + PMDA) with rod-like structures might have stronger photo-resistance, whose form of “LMWOM” was “nodules” and whose friction coefficient increased at 2 h of irradiation possibly due to cross-linking. In the case of PI (OPA + PMDA) and PI (MPA + PMDA) films, they mainly underwent photodegradation, which might soften the surfaces and increased the friction coefficients with increasing irradiation time.