AN ANALYSIS OF TESTING CONFIGURATIONS FOR THE TRIBOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SILICON CARBIDE
Open Access
- Author:
- Gonzales, Mique
- Graduate Program:
- Engineering Science and Mechanics
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- August 05, 2019
- Committee Members:
- Albert Eliot Segall, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Andrea Paola Arguelles, Committee Member
Reginald Felix Hamilton, Committee Member - Keywords:
- Silicon Carbide
Tribology
Pin on Disk
Block on Ring
Ring on Disk - Abstract:
- Mechanical shaft seals have a variety of applications; their use ranges anywhere from household appliances to well pumps. In many cases, such as the well pump example, these seals are expected to have a long service life. Materials used in such applications are required to be highly reliable and demonstrate high resistivity to wear for example. Often, materials selected for such a purpose are ceramics such as tungsten carbide, silicon nitride, and silicon carbide. Silicon carbide (SiC) was the material of interest in this study which sought to characterize tribological testing configurations. Multiple configurations were analyzed and ranked for their ability to characterize the wear and friction performance of SiC sliding on Carbon in water. These configurations included Pin on Disk which featured a pin sliding against a disk, Block on Ring which featured a ring sliding under a block, and Ring on Disk in which a flat ring slid against a spinning disk. A high fidelity test that could quantify wear and friction for silicon carbide was needed in order to foster the development of new materials for the purpose of mechanical shaft seals and other applications. Friction and wear rate data were collected and analyzed between testing configurations. Results of the analysis also demonstrated issues such as splashing and abnormal wear scar geometries potentially leading to unreliable results. Based on issues experienced when conducting and developing the tests, recommendations were made for improvement such that high fidelity and consistent results may be gathered.