Wear failure and fracture mechanics analysis of automobile absorber connecting rod

The wear mechanism of the automobile absorber connecting rods was investigated by means of fracture mechanics and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the glass fibers in the guiding bush are pulled out and existed between the contacting surface of the connecting rod and the guiding bush during the operation of the connecting rod. The detached glass fibers can act as abrasive particles to cause the abrasive wear by way of crushing the chromium-plating layer on the rod surface and accelerating the propagation of cracks. The crush chromium-plating layer can then also act as abrasive particles to enhance the abrasive wear of the connecting rod, which is also accelerated by the crack defects in the chromium-plating layer. The wear mechanism is characterized by abrasive wear, which is dependent on the crack propagation near the interface of the chromium-plating layer and the rod matrix. The fracture mechanism is characterized by mode I fracture, while the friction force is the dominant driving force for the propagation of cracks.