Influences of counterparts on the high-temperature tribological properties and glaze layer formation of pre-oxidized cobalt-based alloys

The tribological behaviors, wear mechanism and formation of the glaze layer of a cobalt-base alloy dry sliding against different counterparts (Si3N4 and GCr15 steel) were investigated. Cobalt-base alloys tend to suffer from adhesive wear when GCr15 steel is used as a counter material compared to Si3N4. At 800 °C, the counter material strongly influences the formation of glaze layers on the surface of cobalt-base alloys. When Si3N4 sliding against the cobalt-base alloy, a (Cr, O)-rich glaze layer is formed by the “compaction-sintering” of wear debris on wear surface of cobalt-based alloys. When GCr15 steel was used as the counterpart material, a (Fe, O)-rich glaze layer was formed on the wear surface due to thermal softening and material transfer.