Effect of organic component nature on tribological properties of “bronze-aqueous solution of carboxylic acid-steel” system

The work objective is to study the effect of the alkanoic acids nature on the tribotechnical characteristics of the “bronze-aqueous solution of carboxylic acids-steel” friction system. The tribological tests are carried out on the end-type friction machine AE-5. The sedimentation analysis using the disc centrifuge CPS Disc Centrifuge Model DC24000 is carried out to determine the wear particle size. The surface roughness of the servovite film is determined with the aid of the atomic-force microscope PHYWE. The friction factor fall with increasing the strength of the acetic and glycolic acids, and its growth with the increase of the oxalic acid content in the lubricating medium is observed. When the acid concentration in the lubricant composition and in the oxalic-acetic-glycolic acid series is increasing, the wear factor of the friction couple decreases. With increase in the mean wear particle size in the glycolic-acetic-oxalic acid series, the friction rate increases. The servovite film being formed in the aqueous-glycolic environment on the steel disc surface contains oxygen. The oxygen percentage in the film depends on the specific surface of the nanostructured system.