Fretting Friction and Wear Characteristics of the Internal Spiral Contact Steel Wires in the Hoisting Wire Rope Under Different Service Conditions

As a critical load-bearing component in mine hoisting systems, the service performance and lifespan of wire ropes are limited by the fretting wear behavior among their internal wires and strands. To investigate the effect of fretting parameters on the wear mechanisms in wire ropes, this paper systematically conducts fretting wear experiments on multi-wire contact pairs under varying fretting frequencies and tensile loads. The results show that as the fretting frequency increases from 0.5 Hz to 3.0 Hz, the coefficient of friction (COF) rises, with its steady-state value reaching approximately 0.65. Conversely, as the tension decreases from 150 N to 90 N, the COF increases, attaining a steady-state value of 0.71. The slip regime between the steel wires evolves from gross slip to partial slip with increasing frequency. With an increase in tensile load, the slip regime transitions from gross slip to partial slip and finally to adhesion. Higher fretting frequencies and greater tensile loads exacerbate both the wear rate and the severity of damage on the spiral contact wires inside the hoisting rope. The highest wear rate, 27.2 × 10−6 mm3/N·m, is observed at 3.0 Hz, while the maximum wear rate under tension is 39.6 × 10−6 mm3/N·m at 150 N. The dominant wear mechanisms at higher frequencies are abrasive wear, tribochemical reaction, and surface fatigue. Under greater tension, the primary wear mechanisms are abrasive wear, surface fatigue, and tribochemical reaction.