Numerical and finite element contact and thermal analysis of real composite-steel surfaces in sliding contact

Numerical techniques have been developed and used to evaluate the contact temperature distribution between real composite-steel surfaces in sliding contact. To characterise the contact temperature problem of composite materials, new definitions for composite Peclet numbers have been introduced. In the case of 'slow sliding' problems, a stationary numerical technique was applied, whereas for 'intermediate and fast sliding' problems, transient finite element (FE) solutions were preferred. Contact temperature results were presented for real composite-steel sliding surfaces; the latter will help to provide information about the actual stress conditions, which are necessary to model the wear process of this pair of materials in future works. Asperity type contact was also detected by an experimental evaluation of the real contact area; the latter was performed by compressing a composite pin onto a glass surface. To study the sliding contact of a composite pin, a micro-sliding test was also produced by a pulling unit. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.