A system for wear prediction in lubricated sliding contacts

A system of analysis is developed to predict the rate of wear in sliding contacts. The essence of the approach is the proposal that the rate of wear can be predicted only in probabilistic terms. Therefore, the estimation of the probability of wear, which can be regarded as synonymous with the probability of surface asperity contacts, precedes the calculation of the wear rate. Further, recognising the fact that wear takes place within the actual area of contact, it is argued that this area consists of plastic and elastic contacts between asperities which, in turn, have different shear strengths and contribute differently to the wear process. In the case of lubricated contact, a frictional film defect represents the influence of a lubricant on the wear process. Moreover, as in this type of contact the load is supported by both lubricating film and contacting asperities, a special procedure is provided to estimate the load supported by the asperities, because it is only that part of the load which contributes to the wear. The catastrophic form of wear in lubricated contacts, that is termed ‘scuffing’, is also considered, and the probability of scuffing, under a given set of operating conditions, is estimated. The predictive system has been tested and its predictions are compared with available experimental results.