Wear map for a copper-based friction clutch material under oil lubrication

Wear maps for specific material combinations can be used to depict dominant wear processes and their severity under a specified range of sliding conditions. Wet clutches are one application for which such maps can be used. In the current work, a copper-based friction material was slid against alloy steel in a ring-on-ring braking simulator. A wear map constructed from measured wear rates was partitioned into ultra-mild, mild and severe wear regimes. The dominant wear mechanisms that control these wear regimes are also discussed. Based on the data, linear equations were constructed to mark transition boundaries between wear regimes.