The Influence of Lead Suspension in Oil Lubricant on the Sliding Wear Behaviour of Cast Iron

This investigation pertains to the analysis of the sliding wear response of a cast iron over a range of applied pressures in the presence of an oil lubricant. The effect of varying concentrations of lead particles suspended in the oil lubricant on the wear behaviour of the cast iron was also examined. The wear rate increased with pressure initially at a lower rate followed by a higher rate of increase beyond a specific pressure. Furthermore, the presence of suspended lead particles up to a specific concentration in the oil proved beneficial while the trend reversed at still higher concentrations. The extent of frictional heating increased with test duration at a high rate in the beginning of the tests. This was followed by a reduced rate of temperature increase at longer test durations. In some cases, the rate of temperature rise increased once again while it reduced in one case towards the end of the tests. The severity and extent of frictional heating also increased with pressure. Lead addition to the oil lubricant up to a specific concentration led to a reduced degree of heating while the trend reversed at still higher lead contents. Specimen seizure caused significantly high wear rate and frictional heating. The observed wear response of the samples has been explained in terms of specific characteristics like cracking tendency and lubricating and load bearing capacity of various microconstituents of the specimen material. Another important factor of concern affecting wear characteristics was observed to be lubricating film formation and its stability during sliding. The wear behaviour has also been substantiated through the characteristics of wear surfaces and subsurface regions.