Friction and wear properties of three different steels against paper-based friction material

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study friction and wear properties of three types of steels against paper-based friction disc, including 65Mn, 20#steel and 30CrAl, so as to obtain the appropriate working conditions for different friction materials in the transmission system. Design/methodology/approach Based on actual working conditions, pin-on-disc tests are conducted on a universal material tester. The two evaluation indexes, including average friction coefficient and variation coefficient, are introduced to analyze the different friction properties among three types of steel. Furthermore, the temperature-dependent wear pattern and wear depth are subsequently studied. Findings The results show that 65Mn is more suitable for working under heavy load and low velocity, but 30CrAl and 20#steel are suitable for working under light load and high velocity. Moreover, wear primarily occurs on paper-based material and peaks at about 325. Practical implications - This research of different materials and friction property for friction pairs is helpful to improve the performance and prolong the service life of transmission systems. Originality/value Suitable working conditions of different friction materials are obtained, and the correlation between wear and decomposition in high temperature is verified.