The Origin and Fundamental Mechanism of Wear of Materials

Wear is a progressive removal of surface portion of solids caused by frictional action. The phenomenon is familiar, but the origin or fundamental mechanism of wear of materials is not yet clarified hitherto. To determine what mechanism governs the wear of solids, the author carries out an experimental study on virgin/virgin rubbing. If the mechanism of wear is one of cutting, surface damages are observed and wear particles are produced even in the virgin/virgin rubbing. If wear is governed by mutual adhesion of sliding materials, no wear particles would be generated but only mutual material transfer is observed. If wear mechanism is governed by fatigue fracture of the surface portion, neither surface damage nor wear particle formation would occur. Experimental results show that the origin and fundamental mechanism of wear is adhesion of mating materials.