Electrochimica Acta, Vol.56, No.24, 8839-8845, 2011
Tribocorrosion of UNS S32750 in chloride medium: Effect of the load level
The tribocorrosion of UNS S32750 sliding against zirconia counterpart in 3.5% NaCl under 2-10 N load range was investigated. The samples were tested in a pin-on-disk tribometer and the main electrochemical techniques employed were potentiodynamic polarization and zero resistance ammeter. The coefficient of friction appeared to be independent of the load level but dependent of the applied potential. Several and complementary electrochemical results could be clearly divided in two distinct groups, below and above ca 7 N. This behavior indicates that the tribocorrosion regime changes as a result of the coupling between mechanical and electrochemical processes, which was interpreted as a change from an adhesive wear regime to an abrasive and corrosion one for higher load levels. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.