| Abstract |
The Bureau of Mines conducted experiments to measure the influence of environment on the friction and wear of a steel-quartz system at several speeds and loads. In each test a quartz block was pressed against a rotating ring of low-carbon steel. Environments used were moist air, dry air, dry nitrogen, water, aqueous oleoylammonium acetate, and aqueous aluminum chloride (AlCl3). The sliding speeds were 2.2, 13, and 33 cm/sec, and the loads were 6.8 and 13.6 kg. The coefficient of friction, the wear, and the roughness of the surfaces were measured, and the wear debris was examined. Friction and wear are important in mining. In drilling and cutting rock, for example, it is desirable to minimize the wear of tools and any friction not contributing to rock fragmentation. The factors considered in this study were environment, speed of rubbing, the force (normal load) with which one surface was pressed against the other, and duration of rubbing. The effect of environment was emphasized. |
