Studies of friction pair Si3N4-steel wear mechanisms

Studies of wear and physical-chemical interaction of two types of nitride-base ceramic (Silinit R1 on the base of Si3N4 and Silinit R on the base of the system β-sialon - TiN) against different steels were carried out. It is established that at friction against low-alloyed steels the wear of Silinit R is increasing with friction regime toughening. The wear of Silinit R1 at high contact loads is effected by carbon content in steels; high carbon content (above 0,5 %) decreases ceramic wear. At friction against high alloyed steel the wear of both ceramic types decreases with increasing of sliding speed due to plastic interface formation at lower temperatures. The direct correlation between the temperature of contact interaction beginning by means of liquid wettability tests and ceramics wear at high-speed friction is not established. (orig.)