Structural Characterization of Wear Debris Produced During Friction Between Two Austenitic Stainless Steel Antagonists

Abstract

Ball-on-flat friction experiments between two austenitic stainless steel antagonists in sliding contact are carried out under very low loads and in two liquid environments, namely demineralized water and methanol. The wear debris produced during long-duration tests are characterized by different techniques such as X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Martensite is observed as a dominant phase in the wear debris but other phases have been also identified. In the debris produced under demineralized water, there is significant contribution of a second phase, which is poorly crystallized and which was identified as the hydrous iron oxide called ferrihydrite. In the debris produced under methanol, there is a remaining amount of austenite that is not transformed into martensite, and the presence of ferrihydrite has been also detected in very small quantities. The formation of the martensitic debris which occurs from the beginning of the wear tests supports the fact that under our experimental conditions the main damaging mode is abrasive wear by hard particles.