Sliding wear of 100Cr6 in a diesel-lubricated flat–flat contact under realistic loads

The tribological limits of martensitic AISI 52100 steel were determined by the application of a wear-mapping technique based on the statistical design of experiments. Wear measurements were conducted on a pin-on-disc system lubricated with a low-lubricity diesel fuel, with both pin and disc constructed of the same AISI 52100 steel. The test bench was equipped with a displacement transducer and an accurate temperature control of the samples temperature, enabling low wear rates to be measured in situ by the displacement transducer without being perturbed by thermal dilatation. By this method it is possible to measure wear rates on the order of a few nm/h. Moreover, the wear of the disc was evaluated at the end of each test by profilometry. A statistical model was fitted to the obtained results. Combining the findings of several surface characterisation methods, we identified two active wear mechanisms: tribocorrosion at low contact pressures (15 N/mm²) and adhesive wear at higher loads. This conclusion was corroborated by examinations of wear particles carried out by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.