Slippage effects on the crack behavior of pearlitic steel induced via rolling-sliding friction

The effect of slippage on the crack behavior of pearlitic steel induced by rolling-sliding friction has been investigated to elucidate the wear damage. The results show that the crack-initiated site occurred at sub-surface sites of the severely deformed phase structure - which is due to the exhausted ferrite ductility - and was accompanied by a series of adjacent connected voids. As the slippage increased, more cracks were observed with the dissolved cementite structure, ranging from lamellae to fragments and particles. The slippage effect on the wear and fatigue competition was demonstrated by comparing the crack propagation rate and wear loss of the material during the rolling-sliding friction process. The length and depth of initiated cracks were key parameters in evaluating the wear damage.