Fretting wear of stainless steels under variable temperature conditions: Introduction of a ‘composite’ wear law

Fretting wear is perceived as a plague in many industrial fields (aeronautics, nuclear engineering, etc.). It is defined as a small displacement amplitude oscillatory motion between two contacting bodies. In this study, Jethete M152 steel was tested against A-286 steel under low pressure gross slip fretting conditions throughout a wide range of constant and variable temperatures from 23 °C to 400 °C. Friction and wear quantifications using a dissipated energy approach were carried out. Tests performed under constant temperature conditions show tribological discontinuities around 220 °C. Above this threshold temperature (Tt) a decrease of the friction coefficient and wear rate is observed, which is related to a significant modification of the interface. At lower temperatures severe adhesive wear dominates whereas at higher ones a third body abrasive process, involving the formation of a compliant glaze layer structure takes place. Various structural analyses including Raman spectroscopy confirm the hypothesis that the glaze layer structure is activated through a tribo-sintering process of oxidized wear particles.