Friction and wear properties of three different steels against paper-based friction material

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study friction and wear properties of three types of steels against paper-based friction disc, including 65Mn, 20#steel and 30CrAl, so as to obtain the appropriate working conditions for different friction materials in the transmission system. Design/methodology/approach Based on actual working conditions, pin-on-disc tests are conducted on a universal material tester. The two evaluation indexes, including average friction coefficient and variation coefficient, are introduced to analyze the different friction properties among three types of steel. Furthermore, the temperature-dependent wear pattern and wear depth are subsequently studied. Findings The results show that 65Mn is more suitable for working under heavy load and low velocity, but 30CrAl and 20#steel are suitable for working under light load and high velocity. Moreover, wear primarily occurs on paper-based material and peaks at about 325. Practical implications This research of different materials and friction property for friction pairs is helpful to improve the performance and prolong the service life of transmission systems. Originality/value Suitable working conditions of different friction materials are obtained, and the correlation between wear and decomposition in high temperature is verified.