Wear Resistance of Super Alloys at Elevated Temperatures

Abstract

This paper provides the results of an extensive sliding wear testing program to evaluate wear resistance of several material couples currently used for high temperature applications such as ground based gas turbines and aircraft engines. Nickel and cobalt base superalloys and iron base stainless steels were tested in different combinations, and their wear rates compared to determine optimal wear resistance. The results show that an alloy’s wear resistance is highly dependent on operating temperature and its coupling with another material. The influences of friction, hardness, and oxide formation on the alloy’s wear resistance are also presented and discussed.