The Influence of Initial Surface Roughness on the Current-Carrying Friction Process of Elastic Pairs

To investigate the effect of the initial surface roughness on the performance at the initial stage of the current-carrying friction of an elastic friction pair, experiments were conducted using a self-made current-carrying friction and wear tester. The results indicate that under the experimental conditions, the lifespan of the friction pair decreases as the surface roughness and load decrease. When the surface roughness is Ra 0.2 mu m and the load is 0.025 N, the lifespan is the longest, reaching 320 cycles, with an average contact resistance of 0.045 Omega and a standard deviation of 0.009 Omega. During the normal service period of the friction pair, the main wear mechanism is furrowing. As adhesion and tearing occur, the electrical contact performance begins to degrade. The impact of arc erosion on the wear surface is far greater than that of mechanical wear. This provides a reference for the design and manufacture of current-carrying friction pairs represented by connectors.