Comparison of tribological behaviors of one-process and two-process steel surfaces in ball-on-disc tests

Wear tests were conducted using a ball-on-disc tester. In the experiment, 42CrMo4 steel disc of hardness 40 HRC was put in contact with 100Cr6 steel ball of 6.35 mm diameter. Hardness of ball was 60 HRC. Disc samples were created using vapor blasting and/or lapping techniques in order to obtain one-process and two-process isotropic surfaces. Dry and lubricated tests were carried out. During tests, the friction force was monitored as a function of time. Wear of discs and balls was measured after the test using white light interferometer. Under dry friction conditions, two batches of tests were performed. In order to decrease variation of the experimental results, during tests the wear debris was continuously removed from the disc surface. Tests under starved lubrication conditions were carried out using L-AN 46 oil. One drop of oil was supplied into the inlet side of the contact zone. It was shown that beneficial effects of two-process surfaces on tribological behavior of sliding pairs depended on the operating conditions.