Effects of Humidity and Sliding Speed on the Wear Properties of $Si_3N_4$ Ceramics

습도 및 미끄럼 속도에 따른 질화규소의 마찰 마모 특성에 관한 연구

The wear properties of two types of $Si_3N_4$(silicon nitride) exposed to high and low humidity were examined experimentally for various sliding speed. Bearing steel was used as the disk material at pin-on-disk type sliding. Wear rates of pressureless sintered-plus-hot-isostatic pressed Si3N4 were slightly lower than those of pressureless sintered $Si_3N_4$. It was observed that adsorbed moisture and sliding speed markedly influenced the wear properties of $Si_3N_4$. The highest wear rate was obtained under the high humidity and low sliding speed condition. As the sliding speed was increased, wear rates were decreased and the humidity effect on the wear rates of $Si_3N_4$ was lowered. The result that the $Si_3N_4$ pin showed a high wear rate under the high humidity condition was explained by the property change due to the adsorbed moisture, plowing action by the hard particles of $Fe_2O_3$ from the disk, and the corrosion effect at $Si_3N_4$ surface. Increase in sliding speed was supposed to have reduced the humidity effect on wear rate of $Si_3N_4$ by raising the temperature of both the bearing steel disk and $Si_3N_4$ pin specimen.