The effects of adhesive strength and load on material transfer in nanoscale wear

Molecular dynamics simulation is used to study the effects of adhesive strength and load on material transfer during wear of nanoscale sliding contacts. Material transfer is quantified in terms of the number of atoms transferred from a copper substrate to a silicon dioxide tip where the interaction strength between the two materials is varied to modulate the work of adhesion. Material transfer is quantified before and after sliding, providing a means of isolating adhesive and abrasive wear mechanisms. Results reveal that both adhesion and abrasion contribute to material transfer during sliding, but that their relative contributions depend on the applied load and adhesive strength.