The role of load on wear mechanisms in high temperature sliding contacts

The role of contact pressures in high temperature, high speed sliding wear has been studied in the context of alignment plates for the hot rolling of steel. To this end, a lab-scale simulation of the process was performed under varying normal loads, using several iron-based materials to be implemented in the real field application. The resulting wear rates and friction coefficients were compared, and it turned out that applied loads exerted no discernible effect on wear rates at room temperature, while leading in some cases to significant wear decrease at temperatures equal or higher than 500 °C. This was attributed to a tribolayer formation influenced not only by sample temperature but also by applied load. Running-in stage duration was also observed to be related to decreased wear rates for several of the materials.