A model for potential adhesive wear particle at sliding inception of a spherical contact

A new approach for adhesive wear modeling based on physical principles that eliminate the use of any empirical wear coefficient has been presented. The model predicts dimensionless volume of a potential wear particle that can be detached from an elastic-plastic sphere in contact with a rigid flat at sliding inception. An explicit relation between the dimensionless potential wear volume, material properties, and dimensionless normal load is obtained. An empirical expression for predicting wear coefficient which depends on the normal load and material properties is also presented. Some recommendations for a dynamic modeling to allow actual detachment of wear particle rather than prediction of a potential wear particle are indicated.