The experimental and numerical analysis of quasi-steady wear processes for a sliding spherical indenter

The wear process on a frictional interface in a relative sliding motion of a punch on a substrate induces shape evolution of contact interface. For fixed contact zone the process tends to a steady state with fixed contact stress and strain distribution. Such steady state wear regimes were analyzed in the previous papers by applying the principle of minimum wear dissipation rate. However, when the contact zone evolves in time due to wear process, as in the case of sliding spherical indenter, a quasi-steady state is reached with stress intensity dependent on the contact size parameter. On the other hand, the contact pressure distribution satisfies the condition of steady state. The simplified numerical analysis of wear process is presented by applying the quasi-steady conditions. The numerical predictions are confronted with experimental test results for two specific cases of soft and hard substrates. The quantitative specification of wear parameters is provided, first assuming constant values throughout the whole wear process, next assuming linearly or exponentially varying during the initial period and tending to constant values.