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abrasive wear and abrasive metal failure of metal bearing

metal failure mode

Abrasive Wear

Learn Key Variables and Mitigation Steps for Abrasive Wear

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abrasive wear overview

What is Abrasive Wear?

Abrasive wear is a type of surface degradation that occurs due to the interaction between two contacting surfaces, where one or both surfaces are subjected to the continuous removal of material. This phenomenon is commonly observed in mechanical systems where moving components come into contact with each other, causing friction and wear.
Abrasive wear may be defined as the loss of material from a surface due to the mechanical interaction between two contacting surfaces, where hard particles or asperities cause the material to be removed from the surface through cutting, ploughing, or fatigue mechanisms. Cases where one part causes abrasive metal wear of mating parts are referred to as two-body wear. Cases where entrained debris causes wear to either or both mating parts is known as three-body wear. Synonyms for abrasive wear include grinding wear and cutting wear.
abrasive wear on roller bearing

What Causes Abrasive Wear?

Several factors influence the occurrence and severity of abrasive metal wear in mechanical systems. These variables include:

  • Material Properties

    The hardness, toughness, and microstructure of the materials involved play a significant role in determining their susceptibility to abrasive wear. Harder materials generally offer better wear resistance, while ductile materials tend to be more prone to wear.

  • Abrasive Particle Characteristics

    The size, shape and hardness of the abrasive particles or asperities significantly affect the wear mechanism. Larger, harder, and sharper particles typically cause more severe wear.

  • Contact Pressure and Sliding Speed

    Higher contact pressures and sliding speeds can lead to increased wear rates due to increased frictional forces acting on the contacting surfaces.

  • Lubrication and Environment

    The presence of lubricants can significantly reduce abrasive wear be minimizing direct contact between the surfaces and by suspending and flushing away abrasive particles. The environment, including temperature, humidity, and the presence of contaminants, can also impact the wear process.

abrasive wear example of two body and three body abrasion

Mitigating Abrasive Wear

To minimize the occurrence and severity of abrasion in mechanical systems, employ various strategies, including:

  • Material Selection

    Choose materials with suitable properties, such as high hardness, good toughness, and favorable microstructures, to enhance wear resistance.

  • Surface Treatments

    Apply surface treatments to improve the surface hardness and wear resistance of components. Metal coatings such as chrome, tungsten carbide, and diamond like carbon (DLC) are effective at prolonging the useful life of components in severe abrasive environments.

  • Proper Lubrication

    Proper lubrication can reduce mild wear by flushing debris particles away, but even a properly designed lubrication system is incapable of dealing with heavy debris loading. Utilize appropriate lubricants to minimize direct contact between surfaces, reduce friction, and suspend and flush away abrasive particles.

  • Contamination Control

    Implement proper sealing and filtration techniques to prevent the ingress of abrasive particles and contaminants into the system.

  • Maintenance and Monitoring

    Regularly inspect and maintain mechanical systems to identify and address signs of abrasion early, preventing premature failures and extending component life.

Armoloy's Solution to Metal Wear

Armoloy offers multiple metal surface treatments that protect against common causes of abrasion. Providing both broad-spectrum and industry-specific applications, our protective metallic coatings add significant value through increased performance and decreased revenue losses from unplanned maintenance and downtime.

Our protective coatings ensure a thin, precise coat that won’t impact production but will improve surface hardness and prevent environmental defects. Beyond increasing wear life, Armoloy tailors our metallic coatings to meet the specific requirements of your application and industry.

Abrasion poses a common challenge for engineers in virtually all industries using mechanical systems to produce output. By understanding its definition, key variables, and mitigation steps, you can effectively minimize the detrimental impact of abrasive metal wear on the performance, reliability, and longevity of mechanical applications. Implementing appropriate strategies reduces maintenance costs, improves system efficiency, and extends component life.

Beyond the Lab: Metal Failures in Narrative Form

Other Metal Failure Modes

Other metal failures include:

Abrasion can also result from, or be a precursor to, other potential metal failures

Frequently Asked Questions

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