Development of a fretting corrosion model for metallic interfaces using adaptive finite element analysis

A new adaptive finite element model was successfully developed to simulate fretting corrosion at metallic interfaces. To do this, the Archard wear equation and a previously established electrochemical equation were simultaneously employed. The algorithm of this finite element approach is able to determine the volume of passive oxide layers removed from the interface and/or re-generated onto the surface; and also, material loss caused by both fretting wear and corrosion at each cycle of fretting wear in a corrosive environment. The fretting corrosion simulation method developed in this work was then used to simulate the fretting corrosion process for a CoCr/CoCr interface under a varying profile of fretting sliding and two different normal contact stresses of 250 and 500 MPa. The results showed that with increasing the normal stress, material loss caused by fretting increases; however, the material loss caused by corrosion and the oxide layer volume decrease. This new model can be employed for various fretting corrosion situations with different material combinations, interface geometries and mechanical loading and sliding profiles.