Extreme Wear-Resistant Materials

Successful completion of the proposed Phase I work outlined and follow-on Phase II work will provide a system to rank existing materials and coatings for severe wear applications. In addition, the ranking system can be utilized to identify desirable properties in new materials and/or coatings that could be developed for specific severe wear applications. The validated system resulting from the Phase II effort will utilize severe application models on which work was initiated separately by the Air Force Institute of Technology and by C-K Technologies LLC prior to initiating this Phase I proposal. Further refinement and validation of previously developed wear models will be undertaken during the proposed Phase I and Phase II programs. The system will utilize a novel severe wear test fixture design that was identified and evaluated in concept in prior work. However, it should be noted that substantial effort will be undertaken during the Phase II program to develop a design having greater capability in terms of speeds and loads than the present device. BENEFIT: Successful completion of the proposed work will result in a basic understanding and ability to quantify the effect of operating and environmental parameters and material properties on the wear rates of members in sliding contact. This technology can be utilized to reduce development costs and achieve acceptable durability of devices in which severe wear conditions occur. Such conditions exist in military applications (Air Force high-speed sled slipper/rail systems, rail gun projective/rail systems) and commercial applications (diesel engine valve seats, steel rolling mills, etc.).