滑动频率影响20CrMnTi齿轮合金钢磨损行为的研究

The Effect of Sliding Frequency on the Wear Behavior of 20CrMnTi Gear Alloy Steel

摘要:

阐述不同滑动频率对车用20CrMnTi齿轮合金钢在干态和油液工况下的摩擦磨损行为及损伤机理的影响机制，旨在为车用齿轮合金钢在实际服役工况中的磨损行为提供理论依据及技术支持。采用球-平面接触模型，结合自主研制的往复滑移式摩擦磨损试验装置，模拟齿轮在真实工况下的摩擦环境，选取10、15和20 Hz三种典型滑动频率，分别在常温干态和浸泡于车用变速箱润滑油中的润滑状态下开展对比实验。同时，基于实验结果及相关摩擦学理论，利用有限元分析技术揭示各磨损工况下损伤界面的动态响应机理，并采用传统的Archard模型预测其损伤演变规律。研究结果表明，所有磨痕均呈近似圆形，边缘区域存在明显磨屑堆积，二维轮廓图均呈典型的U型凹陷特征，说明试样表面主要处于完全滑移接触状态。进一步的磨损深度测试结果表明，在干态和油液润滑磨损工况下，最大磨损深度均出现在滑动频率为15 Hz时，对应最大磨损深度分别约为5.09和3.86 μm。干态磨损表面出现明显剥落坑和犁沟，反映出剧烈的机械磨损过程；而油液下的损伤表面则相对平整，局部磨损轻微，润滑油的存在有效减缓了材料表面的损伤累积。研究还发现：滑动频率的升高会导致界面摩擦系数逐渐减小，且油液润滑状态下的摩擦系数显著低于干态条件；滑动频率在一定范围内对磨损行为具有非线性影响，润滑介质的存在显著改善了材料的耐磨性能。研究滑动频率对磨损行为的影响，对于提升车用齿轮合金钢在复杂服役环境中的稳定性和可靠性具有重要的指导意义。(专精特新·特殊环境材料服役行为专辑十五之十三)

Abstract:

20CrMnTi steel is a low-carbon alloy steel known for its excellent mechanical properties， high toughness， and good strength. It has been widely used in automotive， mechanical and aerospace fields. In the context of China’s automated vehicle manufacturing sector， 20CrMnTi alloy is extensively employed in the production of transmission gears. However， during prolonged service， automotive transmission gears are subjected to complex， time-varying loads. Coupled with lubricant degradation， suboptimal driving behavior， and other operational factors， these conditions lead to significant wear， fatigue， and corrosion on gear tooth surfaces. In practice， excessive wear and corrosion are among the most common causes of gear failure. This study investigates the influence of different sliding frequencies on the wear behavior and damage mechanisms of 20CrMnTi automotive gear alloy steel under both dry and oil-lubricated conditions. The aim is to provide theoretical support and technical guidance for improving the wear behavior of 20CrMnTi gear alloy steel in real-world applications. Based on a ball-on-flat contact model， a self-developed reciprocating sliding tribology test rig was employed to examine the wear responses of the material at sliding frequencies of 10 Hz， 15 Hz， and 20 Hz. Furthermore， on the basis of these experimental results and related tribological theories， the dynamic response mechanism of the wear interface under various wear conditions were revealed using finite element analysis technology. In addition， the Archard model was applied to predict the damage evolution of the test samples under varied wear conditions. Results show that friction coefficients decreased with increasing sliding frequency， and were consistently lower under oil-lubricated conditions compared to dry contact. The wear scars exhibited an oval shape with substantial debris accumulation at the edges， while two-dimensional wear profiles displayed a characteristic “U” shape， indicative of complete slip conditions. Under dry conditions， wear surfaces showed considerable spalling pits and furrows， while under the oil condition， the surfaces were significantly smoother. Notably， the maximum wear d depth occurred at 15 Hz for both lubrication states， after which a decrease in wear severity was observed at 20 Hz. The increase in sliding frequency resulted in considerable micro-separation among the friction contact surfaces， leading to the decrease in friction coefficient. To a certain extent， the sliding frequency affected the value and position of maximum contact stress among the wear surfaces， leading to the varied damage degree and mechanism of the wear surface. In addition， oil can effectively help to change the damage mechanism and reduce the wear degree of gear surfaces during its service period.