Experimental study on Tube-to-Tube reciprocating sliding wear behaviors of Inconel 690 heat transfer tubes.

[Display omitted] • A Tube-to-Tube sliding wear test rig is developed. • Sliding wear volume of Inconel 690 tube increases with increasing cycle number. • Sliding wear volume of Inconel 690 tube is larger under larger contact force. • Wear volume is smaller under lubrication of water, especially at beginning. • Water reduces oxidative wear due to lower oxygen concentration. A Tube-to-Tube sliding wear test rig was developed in the current work. The reciprocating sliding wear behaviors on Inconel 690 heat transfer tubes were experimentally studied under various conditions. The sliding amplitude and frequency have little influence on wear, and the wear volume is in general positively proportional to the sliding cycle number and the contact force. Therefore, the Archard wear equation can be adopted to calculate the macroscale wear volume of the heat transfer tubes. Based on the results obtained by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, the main wear mechanisms of the tube are the adhesive wear, abrasive wear and oxidative wear. Under the water environment, the wear rate is evidently lower than that of the dry condition and the wear mechanisms were not altered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]