Mapping wear mechanisms and wear failure modes in metal contacts

A worn component can exhibit different types of failure on its surface. Pitting, indentation, grooving, and adhesive failure are typical examples of wear failure modes often encountered in metal contacts. These wear failure modes are the result of one or more wear mechanisms acting throughout the lifetime of a mechanical component. Literature often classifies wear mechanisms between abrasion, erosion, surface fatigue, tribochemical and adhesion. Nonetheless, linking the type of failure mode to its underlying cause (i.e. wear mechanism) is challenging. Inconsistencies and ambiguities in nomenclature arises due to differences in historical development or industrial application, increasing the complexity of this relationship. In this work, a diagram was developed to relate wear mechanisms of abrasion, erosion, surface fatigue, tribochemical and adhesion to the wear failure modes of grooving, indentation, pitting, and adhesive failure. Moreover, worn topographies from experimental applications are presented to illustrate the distinguished appearance of each of these wear failure modes. The proposed diagram shades light on the existing relationship between wear mechanisms and wear failure modes. This contributes to minimize discrepancies in terminology across various industries, supporting the development of consistent wear assessment.