Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.7
2.5
Journals
Metals
Special Issues
Advances in Tribological Performance and Wear Mechanism of Metallic Materials
share announcement

Advances in Tribological Performance and Wear Mechanism of Metallic Materials

A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 3760

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Asit Kumar Gain

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Interests: tribological performance; wear mechanism; titanium alloys
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Zhen Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cross-Scale Manufacturing Mechanics, SUSTech Institute for Manufacturing Innovation, Department of Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen 518055, China
Interests: high-entropy alloy; composites; micro/nano forming; functional surfaces; dynamic deformation mechanisms
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Metal is dedicated to the advancement of both fundamental understanding and applied knowledge concerning wear phenomena in metallic systems. We aim to bring together cutting-edge research that elucidates wear mechanisms and offers transformative engineering solutions. Submissions must present original work with clear novelty and scientific significance; incremental studies or marginal variations in previously reported work will not be considered.

Manuscripts must provide rigorous experimental or theoretical insights, and for experimental work, authors are expected to demonstrate the reproducibility of their findings through repeated trials under consistent testing conditions.

Topics of interest include the following:

  • Wear Modeling and Validation: Mechanistic models, tribosystem simulations, and machine learning approaches with experimental validation.
  • New Testing Methods and Standards: Novel wear tests, including critiques of current methodologies.
  • Wear Diagnostics: In situ and real-time sensing or imaging of tribological interfaces.
  • Wear-Resistant Materials and Coatings: Development and benchmarking of new materials or surface treatments, with validated wear mechanisms.
  • Composition–Structure–Wear Relationships: Studies linking material properties and processing to wear behavior.
  • Role of Lubricants and Interfacial Species: Mechanistic insights into wear under well-defined interfacial conditions.

This Special Issue seeks to push the frontiers of tribological science and encourage the development of next-generation materials and methodologies that can significantly extend the life and performance of metallic components in demanding applications.

Dr. Asit Kumar Gain
Dr. Zhen Li
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • metals and MMCs
  • lubricated wear
  • wear testing and monitoring
  • biotribology
  • fretting wear
  • extreme environment wear including high and low temperatures and vacuum

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

24 pages, 9297 KB  
Article
Duplex Surface Modification of 40CrMnMo7 Tool Steel by Chemical-Thermal Treatment and PVD Coating
by Boyan Dochev, Yavor Sofronov, Milko Yordanov, Valentin Mishev, Antonio Nikolov, Rayna Dimitrova, Milko Angelov, Ivan Zahariev, Georgi Todorov and Krassimir Marchev
Metals 2026, 16(4), 377; https://doi.org/10.3390/met16040377 - 28 Mar 2026
Viewed by 553
Abstract
The aim of this work is to investigate the possibility of improving the performance properties of 40CrMnMo7 steel by conducting duplex surface modification treatment. Chemical-thermal treatment processes were used—nitrocarburization and ion-nitriding and subsequent application of a nanostructured multilayer coating, Cr/(Cr-C)ml. The resulting structures [...] Read more.
The aim of this work is to investigate the possibility of improving the performance properties of 40CrMnMo7 steel by conducting duplex surface modification treatment. Chemical-thermal treatment processes were used—nitrocarburization and ion-nitriding and subsequent application of a nanostructured multilayer coating, Cr/(Cr-C)ml. The resulting structures and their influence on the adhesion of the applied coating, as well as their influence on the tribological properties of the coating, were studied. By conducting Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy (GDOES), it was established that the penetration of nitrogen into the depth is greater in the ion-nitriding process, and the results of the conducted optical metallography and hardness measurement show that after ion-nitriding, the obtained hard layer has a greater thickness and hardness. The data obtained from the studies of the phase composition of the hard layers show that after nitrocarburization the non-stoichiometric, but crystalline phase Fe3N1.1 (ξ)—98.4% was formed. In the composition of the hard layer formed after the ion-nitriding process, the presence of Fe3N (ξ-phase) in an amount of 79.5% and Fe4N (γ′-phase) in an amount of 19.1% was established. On the chemically and thermally treated surfaces, a Cr/(Cr-C)ml coating was applied through the unbalanced magnetron sputtering technology. The applied coating has a hardness of 17.1 ± 0.6 GPa and a modulus of elasticity of 289 ± 8.7 GPa. The thickness of the coating applied on the test bodies not subjected to diffusion enrichment is 1.967 µm, and the adhesion class is classified as HF-2. It has been established that the profile of the surfaces obtained after the application of the chemical-thermal treatment processes has an impact on the thickness of the applied coating and on its adhesion. After nitrocarburization, the thickness of the coating is 2.9 µm, and the adhesion of the coating is classified as HF-0. The thickness of the applied coating on the test bodies subjected to ion-nitriding is 2.4 µm, and the adhesion class is HF-1. The results of the conducted tribological tests show that the used chemical-thermal treatment processes have an impact on the coefficients of friction and wear of the coating. The coefficient of friction for the combination of the nitriding process and Cr/(Cr-C)ml coating has the highest value (µ ≈ 0.38), while that of the ion-nitrided sample with subsequent coating has a value (µ ≈ 0.21) slightly higher than the COF of the test body with only the coating applied (µ ≈ 0.18). The lowest value of the coating wear coefficient is registered for the combination of the ion-nitriding and coating process (k = 7.96 × 10−5), while for the combination of nitriding and coating, it is the highest (k = 12.4 × 10−4). The relevance of the present work is related to the implementation of surface modification of 40CrMnMo7 steel by using established technological processes of chemical-thermal treatment and subsequent deposition of nanostructured multilayer Cr/(Cr-C)ml coating. The other novelty in the present study is related to the use of MF pulsed DC power supplies, operating at a fixed frequency of 100 kHz and a specific pulse shape, similar to the shape of HiPIMS pulses, for the deposition of nanostructured multilayer Cr/(Cr/a-C)ml coatings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Tribological Performance and Wear Mechanism of Metallic Materials)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 5640 KB  
Article
Effects of Cold Work and Artificial Aging on Microabrasive Wear of 6201 Aluminum Conductor
by Paul Andre, Clayton Rovigatti Leiva, José Alexander Araújo, Jorge Luiz de Almeida Ferreira and Cosme Roberto Moreira da Silva
Metals 2026, 16(3), 278; https://doi.org/10.3390/met16030278 - 28 Feb 2026
Viewed by 447
Abstract
Aluminum conductor cables are exposed to environmental conditions in service, where wind-induced vibrations generate multiaxial stresses and cause partial sliding between the stranded layers. Such dynamic loading can lead to fatigue or wear failure, particularly at the contact zones between wire layers. The [...] Read more.
Aluminum conductor cables are exposed to environmental conditions in service, where wind-induced vibrations generate multiaxial stresses and cause partial sliding between the stranded layers. Such dynamic loading can lead to fatigue or wear failure, particularly at the contact zones between wire layers. The influence of heat treatment and cold work on the wear of these aluminum wires remains unstudied. This work aims to evaluate the microabrasive wear of rolled and heat-treated 6201 aluminum alloy wires used in conductor cables. The wear tests were performed using free-ball microabrasive wear equipment and alumina (Al2O3) abrasive paste at a concentration of 0.40 g/mL of distilled water. The parameters used were as follows: 100 Cr6 steel balls with a diameter of 25.4 mm, sample inclination of 60°, normal force of 0.3 N, and shaft speed of 0.185 m/s or 280 rpm. The test time was set at 20 min, 30 min, 40 min, 50 min, and 60 min. The wear test data were processed using the Achard equation. The microabrasive wear test results indicate that the wear coefficient decreased by 19.1% after the artificial aging process, compared with the solution-treated alloy (95% CI: 15.5–22.3%), and this reduction was statistically significant (p < 0.001). After the combined treatment of rolling and artificial aging, the alloy had a drop in wear coefficient of 36.1% compared to the same solution-treated alloy (95% CI: 32.6–39.6%), representing the largest statistically significant improvement among the tested conditions (p < 0.001). Cold work (rolling) reduces the mobility of dislocations, requiring greater stress to deform the material, thereby increasing its stiffness and wear resistance. In this 6201 alloy, it is inferred that artificial aging led to the formation of Guinier-Preston zones, which evolved into the formation of metastable β” precipitates in needle-like form, coherent with the matrix. As the aging process progresses, the β’ particles evolve into larger β particles that are no longer coherent with the matrix. The combined processes of rolling and aging decrease the wear coefficient. Statistical analysis demonstrated that microstructural conditions explain approximately half of the total variability in the wear coefficient (η2 = 0.495), indicating that the wear performance under the present experimental configuration is primarily governed by intrinsic strengthening mechanisms rather than experimental variability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Tribological Performance and Wear Mechanism of Metallic Materials)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 136328 KB  
Article
Mechanical Wear and Friction Behavior of 30CrMnSiNi2A Steel Rocket Sled Sliders Under High-Speed and Heavy-Load Conditions: A Finite Element Analysis
by Ye Hao, Naiming Lin, Lin Wu, Kai Yan, Weihua Wang, Yuan Yu, Qing Zhou, Zhiqi Liu, Qunfeng Zeng, Dongyang Li and Yucheng Wu
Metals 2026, 16(1), 122; https://doi.org/10.3390/met16010122 - 20 Jan 2026
Viewed by 487
Abstract
The rocket sled slider is a key connection component between the rocket sled and the track for support, guidance and load-bearing, ensuring the system’s safe and reliable operation. Wear of sliders under high—velocity and heavy—load conditions is crucial for equipment reliability. This study [...] Read more.
The rocket sled slider is a key connection component between the rocket sled and the track for support, guidance and load-bearing, ensuring the system’s safe and reliable operation. Wear of sliders under high—velocity and heavy—load conditions is crucial for equipment reliability. This study establishes a wear prediction model for sled rails using ANSYS, incorporating a dimensionless acceleration factor into the simulation. By analyzing dynamic characteristics of contact friction stress, wear volume, depth, and stress over time, the tribological characteristics of 30CrMnSiNi2A steel sliders were studied. The simulation results showed that during dry—friction sliding, slider wear is highly related to speed and load, increasing significantly as they increase. The slider’s contact surface has non-uniform stress distribution with stress concentration and gradient changes. Quantitative analysis has revealed that friction stress is positively correlated with load, and its sensitivity to speed changes is high at low speeds and relatively low at high speeds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Tribological Performance and Wear Mechanism of Metallic Materials)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 7469 KB  
Article
Integrity of 316/420 Stainless Steel Tribosystem Under Severe Marine Conditions
by Karla J. Moreno, María Teresa Hernández-Sierra, J. Santos García-Miranda and Luis Daniel Aguilera-Camacho
Metals 2025, 15(10), 1076; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15101076 - 26 Sep 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1289
Abstract
The present study aims to examine the tribological and mechanical integrity of AISI 316/420 stainless steel tribosystem under boundary lubrication with artificial seawater for application in a marine environment. The tribological performance was evaluated through sliding friction tests using a ball-on-disc configuration, at [...] Read more.
The present study aims to examine the tribological and mechanical integrity of AISI 316/420 stainless steel tribosystem under boundary lubrication with artificial seawater for application in a marine environment. The tribological performance was evaluated through sliding friction tests using a ball-on-disc configuration, at contact pressures ranging from 520 MPa to 1400 MPa. The influence of working contact pressure on the kinetic friction coefficient (µk), wear rate (K), and worn surface damage was studied. Their interaction with the corrosive medium was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analyses to investigate the wear mechanisms. Microhardness testing was also employed to assess the effect of friction and wear on the mechanical properties of the tribosystem. The results showed that friction and microhardness increased with contact pressure, while the wear rate decreased due to strain hardening. The wear mechanisms included abrasion, adhesion, delamination, and localized oxidation. This study offers new perspectives on the tribological response of stainless steel materials in marine engineering systems, providing valuable insights for material selection and design in corrosive and high-load applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Tribological Performance and Wear Mechanism of Metallic Materials)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop