Study of the Influence of the Micro-Abrasive Wear Modes on the Behaviors of the Volume of Wear and Coefficient of Friction of Thin Films Submitted to Micro-Abrasive Wear

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to study the influence of the micro-abrasive wear modes on the behaviors of the volume of wear (V) and on the coefficient of friction (µ) of thin films. Experiments were conducted with thin films of TiN, TiAlN, TiN/TiAlN, TiHfC, ZrN and TiZrN, using a ball of AISI 52100 steel and abrasive slurries prepared with black silicon carbide (SiC) particles and glycerine. The results show that the abrasive slurry concentration affected the abrasive wear modes (“grooving abrasion” or “rolling abrasion”) and, consequently, the magnitude of the volume of wear and of the coefficient of friction, as described: i) a low value of abrasive slurry concentration generated “grooving abrasion”, which was relationed to a relatively low volume of wear and high coefficient of friction; ii) a high value of abrasive slurry concentration generated “rolling abrasion”, which was relationed to a relatively high volume of wear and low coefficient of friction.