Tribological Behavior of Metals at Elevated Temperatures
Summary
The tribological performance of metals under high‐temperature conditions is governed by complex interactions between mechanical loading, surface chemistry and microstructural evolution. As temperature rises, metals develop oxide films whose composition, thickness and adherence determine transitions between abrasive, adhesive and oxidative wear regimes. In many alloys, the formation of a ductile, self-lubricating oxide composite can reduce both friction coefficient and material loss, whereas unstable or brittle oxide layers may spall under shear, exposing fresh substrate and accelerating wear. Grain size, phase distribution and alloying elements influence the hardening response and oxidation kinetics, affecting the propensity for protectively glazing the contact surface. Counterface materials and contact pressures further modify interfacial shear and heat dissipation, giving rise to adaptive tribo-oxide layers in some systems and severe galling or delamination in others. Practical applications span hot forging dies, aircraft engine components and power‐generation turbines, where predictable lifetime and minimal maintenance hinge on controlling wear mechanisms through alloy design, surface treatments and optimal operating windows. Recent advances have focused on in situ monitoring of oxide growth, modelling of coupled thermo-mechanical wear processes and tailoring oxide chemistry to achieve low-friction sliding at service temperatures exceeding 500 °C.
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Tribological Behavior of Metals at Elevated Temperatures publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in tribological behavior of metals at elevated temperatures across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Abrasive wear: Material removal by hard particles or asperities ploughing the surface.
Adhesive wear: Surface damage caused by junction growth and subsequent shear-induced tear-out.
Oxidative wear: Wear dominated by formation and removal of oxide layers under sliding.
Tribo-oxide layer: Composite film of oxides generated in situ that can act as a solid lubricant.
Counterface: The mating surface material against which a metal slides, influencing interfacial chemistry and mechanics.
Coefficient of friction: The ratio of tangential to normal force resisting sliding, indicative of interfacial shear behaviour.
References
- Wear characteristics of austenitic steel and martensitic steel at high temperature. Materials Research Express (2022).
- Friction and Wear Behaviors of Fe-19Cr-15Mn-0.66N Steel at High Temperature. Coatings (2021).
- Tribological behavior comparisons of high chromium stainless and mild steels against high-speed steel and ceramics at high temperatures. Friction (2021).
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