Kulumisvastust

Kulumisvastustust, or wear resistance, is the ability of a material to resist material loss due to mechanical wear under friction, sliding, or abrasive contact. It is a key property for components exposed to rolling or sliding contact, such as bearings, gears, seals, cutting tools, and seals.

Several factors influence wear resistance. Material hardness and toughness, microstructure and presence of hard phases (for example carbides or ceramic grains), and surface finish play major roles. Operating conditions such as load, speed, temperature, lubrication, and environment (dust, moisture, corrosive media) also affect wear performance. Surface engineering and coatings can significantly enhance wear resistance without compromising bulk properties.

Measurement and modeling are used to compare materials and predict performance. Common laboratory wear tests include pin-on-disk, ball-on-disk, and similar configurations to measure wear rate or volume loss. Results are often reported as wear rate (volume loss per unit load and distance) or specific wear rate. Archard’s wear law provides a simple empirical relation: wear volume is proportional to load and sliding distance and inversely proportional to hardness, with a dimensionless wear coefficient reflecting material pairing and conditions.

Common strategies to improve wear resistance include selecting inherently hard or tough materials, heat treating to increase surface hardness, and applying surface coatings or treatments (such as nitriding, carburizing, PVD/CVD coatings, or diamond-like carbon). Proper lubrication and surface texturing can also reduce wear in service.

Applications span automotive and aerospace components, industrial machinery, mining equipment, and tooling, where extended life and reliability under abrasive or adhesive wear are critical.