Frictional Heating of a Composite

Abstract

A numerical analysis has been carried out for a three-dimensional frictional heating problem of a composite material, in which an asperity contact (heat source) moves across the boundary of the constituents of a composite. The mathematical model adopted here is that a surface asperity on a semi-infinite body slides on a composite which consists of two semi-infinite bodies. Expressions of temperature distribution both in the composite and on the moving surface are derived. Then the temperature distribution and its change with time are obtained by a numerical procedure. It is shown that the temperature rise caused by frictional heating remarkably depends on the thermal properties of constituents of the composite, and temperature distributions in the vicinity of the asperity contact both on the moving surface and in the composite rapidly change when the asperity passes over the boundary of the constituents. The effect of the frictional heating on the worn surface profile of a composite is also discussed.