The influence of surface oxidation and sliding speed on the unlubricated wear of 316 stainless steel at low load

The effect of sliding speed on the unlubricated wear of 316 stainless steel at a low load was investigated at room temperature. A threefold to twentyfold reduction in wear rate occurred at a sliding distance which increased with increasing speed. The time to the transition, however, was approximately independent of sliding speed. The transition was associated with the appearance of a reddish brown phase in the wear debris, thought to be a hydrated form of haematite. It is proposed that in the pre-transition stage the surface and subsurface properties of prows, the main contact regions, become modified by oxidation effects. This leads to an elastic component being introduced into the surface interactions with a reduction in the plastic deformation of prows. Prow breakdown then becomes the rate-limiting step in wear debris formation. (orig.)