Wear of a thin surface coating: Modelling and experimental investigations

Many traditional materials are unsuitable for the harsh conditions experienced by high performance engineering components. The use of coatings however can enhance the performance and thus extend the applicability of these materials without having to resort to more expensive new generation exotic materials. This paper focuses on thin self-lubricating coatings developed for wear resistance, deposited on steel substrates. The paper reports on the results of pin on disc wear tests on the coatings. In addition, micromechanical finite element models of the pin on disc wear test are presented that are used to examine the development of plastic strain in the coating during the test. The model predictions are correlated with the test results and conclusions are drawn on the possibility of developing a wear prediction model based on plastic strain buildup within the coating.