Wear

1. Experimental analysis and modelling for reciprocating wear behaviour of nanocomposite coatings

   Publication date: 15 December 2018

   Source: Wear, Volumes 416–417

   Author(s): Mian Hammad Nazir, Zulfiqar Ahmad Khan, Adil Saeed, Vasilios Bakolas, Wolfgang Braun, Rizwan Bajwa

   Abstract

   This paper presents the study of wear responses of nanocomposite coatings with a steel ball under oscillating-reciprocating state. Nanocomposite coatings for this study include: Nickel-Alumina (Ni/Al₂O₃), Nickel-Silicon Carbide (Ni/SiC), Nickel-Zirconia (Ni/ZrO₂) and Ni/Graphene. Ni/ZrO₂ exhibited maximum wear rate followed by Ni/SiC, Ni/Al₂O₃ and Ni/Graphene respectively which was also assured by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) micrographs, grain sizes, hardness, porosity, surface stresses, frictional coefficients behaviours and “U-shaped” wear depth profiles. The “U-shaped” profiles were utilised to calculate the energy distribution (Archard factor density) along the interface. A novel mechano-wear model incorporating the energy distribution equations with the mechanics equations was developed for analysing the effects of intrinsic mechanical properties (such as grain sizes, hardness, porosity, surface stresses of the nanocomposite coatings) on the wear response. The predictions showed close agreement with the experimental results. In conclusion Ni/Graphene exhibited better anti-wear properties compared to other nanocomposite coatings. The high anti-wear behaviour of Ni/Graphene composite is due to enhanced strengthening effects in the presence of graphene. The importance of this work is evident from various industrial applications which require reliable modelling techniques to predict coatings failures due to wear. This work will bring significant impact to precision manufacturing, wind turbine industries, automotive, locomotive and aerospace in overcoming critical wear failures.