Effect of the adhesion force on the equation of adhesive wear and the generation process of wear elements in adhesive wear of metals

The effects of the adhesion force on the equation of adhesive wear were investigated by examining the relationship between the adhesion force of actual sliding surfaces and the number of wear elements generated at a junction. The number of wear elements and their generation mechanism in the elementary wear processes were determined by nanoscale observations and by analysis of the sliding surfaces by scanning electron microscopy and atomic-force microscopy. In addition, the adhesion force between actual sliding metal surfaces was measured by a method combining friction-force microscopy and force-distance curve measurement. The adhesion force between metal-probe cantilevers of nine different metals and the surfaces of blocks of the same metal were measured. We propose a modified equation for adhesive wear that takes into account the effect of the adhesion force, and we discuss the precise process for the generation of wear elements.