Tribological study at the in-situ situation for Aluminum 6061 and steel EN31 during the dry and starved lubricating condition

Abstract

Scientists are working on the development of materials and lubricants to reduce friction as well as wear at metal-to-metal interfaces having relative motion. Aluminum is a widely used metal due to its high strength to weight ratio and availability in nature as compared to other metals that are manufactured by the rolling process. The output of the product quality and quantity from the rolling process requires less energy as compared to other manufacturing processes. A tribological study has been carried at the in-situ condition for the interface of Al6061 and steel EN31 on the pin on disc setup. To analyze the effectiveness of lubricant with mating surfaces, the effect of rolling lubricant was analyzed for tribological behavior and compared with the dry condition. The coefficient of friction was reduced up to 80% and the specific wear rate was reduced up to 96% by using rolling lubricant compared to dry conditions at the interface of metals that had relative motion.