TRIBOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF SURFACE LAYER WITH BORON IN FRICTION PAIRS

Abstract

The aim of the present work is to determine the influence of technologically produced boron surface layers on the friction parameters in the sliding pairs under the conditions of mixed friction. The tribological evaluation included ion nitrided, pack borided, laser borided, quenched and tempered surface layers and TiB2 coating deposited on 38CrAlMo5-10 , 46Cr2 and 30MnB4 steels. Modified surface layers of annular samples were matched under test conditions with counter-sample made from AlSn20 bearing alloy. Tested sliding pairs were lubricated with 15 W/40 Lotos mineral engine oil. The tribological tests were conducted on a T-05 block on ring tester. The applied steel surface layer modification with boron allows surface layers to be created with pre-determined tribological characteristics required for the elements of kinematic pairs operating in the conditions of sliding friction. Pack boronizing reduces the friction coefficient during the start-up of the frictional pair and the maximum start-up resistance level is similar to the levels of pairs with nitrided surface layers.