A New Approach to The Oxidational Theory of Mild Wear

Abstract

The wear and friction of 316 stainless steel was investigated in relation to oxidation at the real area of contact. An approach describing the oxidation characteristics of mild wear in terms of linear oxidation kinetics is presented. Linear oxidation kinetics more closely approaches the physical conditions involved where oxide growth on asperities is continuously interrrupted by spalling and removal. The mild wear rate may now be described mathematically by two empirical equations in terms of the operational variables and the oxidational constants without using the critical oxide thickness (ζ) which is dependent on asperity size, shape and temperature and is difficult to measure. The resulting activation energy for oxidational wear was significantly lower than that for static oxidation governed by diffusion controlled kinetics.