High-temperature tribological behavior of tungsten

The tribological performance of tungsten is of extremely importance for the design and optimum of the gravity-driven tungsten granular target, which is being considered as the most promising high-power target for Accelerator-Driven System. In this work, therefore, we investigated the friction and wear behavior of the rolled tungsten in the temperature range from room temperature to 1000 °C. Results indicated that the friction coefficient of tungsten tends to decrease with increasing time and temperature whereas the wear rate reaches maximum at 250 °C and minimum at RT. Correspondingly, wear mechanisms of tungsten at different temperatures were also investigated in details. [Display omitted] •The tribological behavior of the rolled tungsten in the temperature range from RT to 1000 °C was investigated.•COF of tungsten depends on both oxidation and work hardening below 750 °C and decreases to minimum at 750 °C•The most severe wear occurs around the DBTT of tungsten whereas the least wear loss is at RT.