Diffraction methods in tribosystem diagnostics

AbstractIn this paper, two structural analysis methods, X‐ray diffraction and electron diffraction, are considered for their use in tribosystem diagnosis. It is shown that, for certain applied tribological problems, such as determination of friction conditions and type of wear regime, estimation of running‐in period, selection of optimum wear‐resistant materials, and of suitable conditions of friction and wear, these methods can be used in addition to more conventional tribotesting and tribodiagnostic methods.A study of the structure of certain friction pair materials and wear particles was conducted. X‐ray investigations of the surface layers of the friction pair materials showed that structural characteristics, such as broadening and intensity of diffraction lines, can be used in the estimation of friction conditions. Examples of the choice of structurally wear‐resistant engineering materials, and of suitable friction conditions, are given. The study of wear particles produced under different friction conditions shows that these particles vary not only in form and dimensions, but also in phase composition. This provides important additional information for friction and wear process diagnostics. The method involves electron diffraction analysis of isolated wear particles, which allows us to characterise the wear processes under friction conditions. It is shown that a definite phase composition, the fineness of wear particles, and the quantitative ratio of each of the wear product phases, can be characterised for different wear types. Some useful applications of these investigative methods for analysis of the wear nature of friction pairs are described.