Static and cyclic fretting fatigue behaviour of silicon nitride

A cyclic fretting fatigue test machine was constructed. The piezo-electric bimorphs were used as actuators for cyclic loading and fretting motion at the resonance frequency of the system. Fretting fatigue tests under static and cyclic loading conditions were carried out using HIP-sintered silicon nitride. From the experimental results, it was found that fretting fatigue strengths under the two test conditions were identical and hence the effect of cyclic loading on fretting fatigue strength of silicon nitride was almost negligible. A fretting crack initiated in a very early stage of the fatigue life at the position of the maximum frictional stress in the contact area. Fretting fatigue life prediction based on fracture mechanics was also carried out. The predicted lives were in good agreement with the experimental results.