Mapping the role of Cr content in dry sliding of steels: comparison between maps for material and counterface

In this work, a study of the wear transition regimes was carried out for a pin-on-disk sliding couple, involving two steels of different hardness and Cr contents. Dry sliding wear behaviour of the more highly alloyed stainless steel was dominated by adhesive wear and tribo-oxidation at relatively low sliding speeds and by mixed and adhesive wear at high speeds and loads. In contrast, oxidative wear was more predominant for the lower alloyed steel. The individual wear maps generated for the individual components i.e. material and counterface are discussed in the context of the wear mechanisms observed in the tribological contact.