Wear mechanism of clutch separating ring in a heavy load vehicle

The separating rings of a clutch in a heavy load vehicle are frequently replaced after a certain service period due to wear. However, the wear mechanism of the separating rings has not been well studied. In the present study, a worn separating ring is examined with scanning electron microscope, the metallographic structures are observed and the micro-hardness is measured. Results showed that the hardness of the slot surface is relatively low because the surface layer is mainly composed of austenite but not the preferred martensite; under the action of impact forces generated during the separation process of the ring, plastic furrows and pits are produced on the slot surface by particle abrasion. Based on these results, it is concluded that the wear failure of the separating ring is mainly caused by particle abrasion.