Friction-induced martensitic transformation and wear properties of stainless steel under dry and wet conditions

The wear characteristics of SUS304 and SUS316 stainless steels were evaluated at the rotation speeds of 100 m/s, 200 m/s, and 300 m/s under dry and wet conditions. The transition of friction-induced martensite occurred in wear-affected regions of two materials, regardless of the wear test conditions. The specific wear rates (W_s) of both stainless steels increase with increasing rotation speeds, regardless of the circumstances. Moreover, W_s of SUS304 and SUS316, obtained under dry conditions, is significantly higher than that of SUS304 and SUS316 obtained under wet conditions, respectively. This is because that the water film on the wet ring can act as a liquid lubricant between the ring and the block during the tests. After the wear tests, the hardness changes of both SUS304 and SUS316 are much higher under dry conditions, compared to those under wet conditions.