Description
Abstract: Nowadays, lead-containing bronze is commonly used as bearing material in hydrostatic units, such as both piston pumps and motors. With the ongoing demand to further increase the workload on the hydraulic unit itself, the lead-containing bronze continues to reach its tribological limits, increasing the risk of wear-induced component breakdown. Additionally, the contained lead that integrates emergency features into the bearing material is hazardous to the environment. In this work, thermally sprayed coatings are investigated as potential replacement materials to the lead-containing bronze. The investigation is based on tribometer tests that were performed under mixed lubricating conditions. The results from both ball-on-disc abrasive wear and seizure tests show that the wear resistance in certain iron- and molybdenum-based alloys is superior to that of the lead-containing bronze. This outcome suggests promising tribological properties in these alloys, which could be employed as suitable alternative materials in axial sliding bearing applications.
Authors: Mareike Hesebeck, Galina Haidarschin, Lutz Fassl, and Marc Diesselberg
Keywords: Thermal Spraying, Ball-On-Disc Tribometer Test, Wear, COF, Lead-Free