Studies on fretting wear (combinations of various ceramics spheres and carbon steel plates)

In recent machine structures, more and more ceramics are employed. Thus, in present study, a fretting wear phenomenon is observed between general-purpose ceramics and carbon steel. Three kinds of spherical specimens made of alumina ceramics (Al2O3), zirconia ceramics (ZrO2) and silicon nitride ceramics (Si3N4) are tested. Their mating pair is a flat specimen made of carbon steel for machine structure use. The fretting wear volume and fretting wear scar configuration are measured, and the worn surfaces are observed by an optical microscope.