FRICTION AND WEAR OF SI3N4 CERAMIC STAINLESS-STEEL SLIDING CONTACTS IN DRY AND LUBRICATED CONDITIONS

Austenitic stainless steel AISI 321 is one of the most difficult-to-cu t materials, In order to investigate the wear behavior of Si3N4 cerami c when cutting the stainless steel, wear tests are carried out on a pi n-on-disk tribometer, which could simulate a realistic cutting process , Test results show that the wear of Si3N4 ceramic is mainly caused by adhesion between the rubbing surfaces and that the wear increases wit h load and speed, When oil is used for lubrication, the friction coeff icient of the sliding pairs and the wear rate of the ceramic are reduc ed, A scanning electron microscope (SEM), an electron probe microanaly zer (EPMA), and an energy dispersive x-ray analyzer (EDXA) are used to examine the worn surfaces, The wear mechanisms of Si3N4 ceramic slidi ng against the stainless steel are discussed in detail.