Influence of Surface Topography and Roughness on Lubrication, Friction and Scuffing in High Hardness Steels

Abstract

In tribology engineering, friction control is a significant challenge. The interacting surfaces of mechanical components are typically designed for best efficiency during tribological operations and are primarily achieved through adequate lubrication. In these applications, breakage of the lubricant films between these contacting components can cause surface damage. In extreme-sliding interactions, this can lead to seizure and scuffing. Scuffing is a severe form of wear observed in lubricated sliding interactions. Hence, lubrication effectiveness becomes an important tribological factor that can regulate friction and wear. It is well known that the materials used in engineering applications are subjected to a range of manufacturing processes and surface finishing methods, resulting in surfaces with varying roughness and topographies. This can have a significant impact on a lubricant's ability to lubricate. Hence, understanding the influence of surface topography and roughness on lubrication, friction, and wear has always been an imperative area of high research interest. The entire experimental studies show that the surface topography and roughness synergistically influence lubrication, friction, and scuffing. The work also shows that selective determination of topography and roughness ranges can prevent scuffing and improve the efficiency of interacting tribo-components in practical engineering applications