Optimization and Validation of a Load-Controlled Numerical Model for Single Asperity Scratch

Abrasive wear due to particles sliding along a surface (two-body abrasion) or in between two surfaces (three-body abrasion) often leads to early failure of machine components exposed to, e.g., slurry, sand, wear debris, and so on. The primary cause for failure due to abrasive wear is the interaction between abrasive particles and the material surface. Simulation of an entire abrasive system is complicated and involves several challenges. Therefore, a single scratch test is the most fundamental and simplest abstraction of abrasive wear that can be simulated using finite-element modeling (FEM). A novel load-controlled quasi-static explicit three-dimensional (3D) scratch model has been developed using ABAQUS (6.14) for the current study. The FE model was validated using experimentally performed scratch tests on an abrasion-resistant martensitic steel. The influence of load and indenter geometry on scratch geometry was studied in detail. Future work will focus on introducing damage and strain rate dependent material behavior into the model in order to deepen the understanding of the interaction between an abrasive and the material.