Wear Protection Industrial Coatings

Normally wear is associated with material loss, which can deteriorate the function of the component. Abrasive wear is quite common. It can be prevented or reduced by hardening the the surfaces, providing a lubricant (either wet or dry), and preparing the surface finish (RMS) to meet the needs of the forces, stresses and environment of the application. NASA, Lewis Lab, has acutaly found the too smooth a surface can increase wear by increasing the contact of two surfaces (RMS finishes under 4-5 on loaded planes increases frictional contact and produces more wear than 8-10 finish). Corrosive wear caused by oxidation of chemical attacks, can be prevented and reduced by encapsulating the component. Most often, there is a combination of the mechanical and chemical processes operating separately or together which produce wear. The synergism between the two conditions cause sever material loss much greater than taken alone.