Corrosion−wear behavior of nanocrystalline Fe88Si12 alloy in acid and alkaline solutions

The corrosion−wear behavior of a nanocrystalline Fe88Si12 alloy disc coupled with a Si3N4 ball was investigated in acid (pH 3) and alkaline (pH 9) aqueous solutions. The dry wear was also measured for reference. The average friction coefficient of Fe88Si12 alloy in the pH 9 solution was approximately 0.2, which was lower than those observed for Fe88Si12 alloy in the pH 3 solution and in the case of dry wear. The fluctuation of the friction coefficient of samples subjected to the pH 9 solution also showed similar characteristics. The wear rate in the pH 9 solution slightly increased with increasing applied load. The wear rate was approximately one order of magnitude less than that in the pH 3 solution and was far lower than that in the case of dry wear, especially at high applied load. The wear traces of Fe88Si12 alloy under different wear conditions were examined and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results indicated that the tribo-chemical reactions that involve oxidation of the worn surface and hydrolysis of the Si3N4 ball in the acid solution were restricted in the pH 9 aqueous solution. Thus, water lubrication can effectively improve the wear resistance of nanocrystalline Fe88Si12 alloy in the pH 9 aqueous solution.