Slitagemönster

Slitagemönster, or wear patterns, is a term used to describe the characteristic surface alterations that develop on materials as a result of repeated use, contact and friction. The concept is central in tribology, materials science and forensic or archaeological analyses, where the pattern on a surface provides information about loading conditions, motion, and the history of wear.

Wear patterns arise through several mechanisms. Abrasive wear creates grooves or scratches when harder asperities plough across a surface. Adhesive wear involves material transfer and localized heating at contact points, producing smoother burnishing regions or transfer films. Fatigue wear results from cyclic stresses that cause cracks and delamination, leading to pits, flaking or layered delamination. The specific pattern depends on factors such as load, sliding speed and direction, material hardness and microstructure, lubrication, and environmental conditions.

Common features of slitagemönster include directional grooves parallel to motion, cross-hatch or sawtooth-like marks, pitting, burnishing, and delamination fronts. Patterns can be microscopic or visible to the naked eye and are often analyzed to infer the dominant wear mechanism and operating conditions. Analytical methods include optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and surface profilometry to measure pattern geometry, depth, density and orientation.

Applications of wear-pattern analysis include design improvement for wear-resistant components (bearings, gears, seals), failure analysis, quality control, and the study of historic artifacts to understand how objects were used. By comparing observed patterns with controlled experiments, scientists can reconstruct service conditions and guide maintenance or material selection.