Effect of surface topography on transferred film formation in plastic and metal sliding system

Wear tests were performed with a pad-on-disk type apparatus using aramid fi ber reinforced phenolic composite pads and gray cast iron and Ni-Cr-Mo stee l disks. The effect of surface topography of metal disk on the film formati on by transfer from plastic pads was investigated. The following results we re obtained: (1) The roughness valleys across the sliding direction and the small pits on the disk surface accelerate the film formation of pad materi al on the disk. The transfer film reduces friction and wear of the pad. (2) The amount of Fe on the pads transferred from the cast iron disks is small er than that from the Ni-Cr-Mo steel disks. (3) Under a low contact pressur e (0.03 MPa) condition, the specific wear amount of pads sliding on the Ni- Cr-Mo steel disk is much smaller than that sliding on the cast iron disk. S urface roughness of pads sliding on Ni-Cr-Mo steel disk is smaller than tha t sliding on the cast iron disk. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.