Reduced thermal conductivity during wear keeps surfaces hot

A reduced thermal conductivity by superficial structural deterioration has far reaching consequences for the propagation and severity of damage to materials in wear and machining processes. As a model system, we studied the structural and thermal properties of silicon carbide (SiC) which is frequently applied, for example, in face seals or rotary pumps. We show, using contactless Raman measurements, that the wear of the ceramic SiC surface drastically reduces the metal-like high thermal conductivity by several orders of magnitude.