An experimental investigation of adhesive wear extension in fretting interface: Application of the contact oxygenation concept

This paper investigates the transition from abrasive to adhesive wear in gross-slip fretting assuming contact oxygenation concept which suggests that adhesion appears in the inner part of the interface if the di-oxygen partial pressure is below a threshold value. In the lateral sides, where di-oxygen molecules are sufficient, oxidation and abrasion prevail. To assess this phenomenon, 34NiCrMo16 flat-on-flat contacts are tested. Contact oxygenation is quantified using the “oxygen-distance, dO” parameter defined as the averaged width of the external abrasion corona. Confirming this concept, dO decreases with contact pressure and frequency but remains constant versus sliding amplitude, fretting cycles and contact area. dO evolution is formalized using a power law formulation which allowed predicting wear transitions for plain and macro-textured surfaces. Illustration of the contact oxygenation concept to interpret the effect of contact pressure and sliding frequency regarding the evolution of dO and the related partition between adhesive and abrasive areas. [Display omitted] •Fretting wear of 35NCD16 flat contacts is done to assess wear mechanism evolution.•Oxygen distance parameter is introduced to track abrasive wear domain.•Oxygen distance decreases with the frequency and contact pressure.•Oxygen distance is independent of loading cycles sliding amplitude and contact area.•Contact oxygenation model is proposed to predict the transition of wear mechanisms.