10/26/2011 -
Guide to Friction, Wear, and Erosion Testing (2007), by Kenneth G. Budinski
ISBN 978-0-8031-4269-5. Publisher ASTM International, Phoenixville, PA. 2007. Soft cover. 132 pages. $115.50.
When I was a post-graduate student in the early 80s in India, my professor cracked a joke on the word tribology. One of his tribological research proposals sent to the Department of Science and Technology (DST) was forwarded to the Department of Culture because a bureaucrat at the DST thought it was something to do with tribal people. The author of the book did not use the word tribology or tribotesting in the book title because of its unfamiliarity among the scientific and engineering communities. However, he compensates by mentioning tribology or tribotesting in the text several times. Tribology means science of rubbing (tribo = rubbing; logy = science). It encompasses three aspects of friction, lubrication and wear.
Engineers feel comfortable in designing high rise buildings with over 100 floors based on simple tensile test results of a structural steel but when it comes to tribological performance of parts or components, there is no simple approach. This is because of the complex nature of how the rubbing surfaces interact under different conditions. Rubbing surfaces undergo various transformations and it is difficult, if not impossible, to predict their behavior. Trying to do a bench scale test to simulate the practical situation is not a simple problem. One needs to understand the mechanisms of wear to ensure any remote correlation between real life and laboratory test situations.
The book has 13 chapters beginning with the definitions of terms and phrases used in tribology. The second chapter presents simulation and modeling as alternatives to testing but cautions their limitations. Following is a chapter on general description on methodology and test selection, individual chapters are devoted to important types of wear – abrasion, adhesive wear, fretting, erosion, etc. Tests related to rolling, impact and surface fatigue are covered in a separate chapter. Similarly, friction testing and lubricated wear received distinctive attention.
The book is mostly centered on the materials aspects of tribology, particularly metal-based, reflecting the author’s background. However, the author has devoted a chapter to wear testing of non-metallic materials such as plastics and elastomers. New areas such as micro-, nano-, and bio-tribology are also covered in a chapter.
The book describes over 150 test machines covering over 100 ASTM standard tests that apply to a variety of tribological situations. It gives guidance in determining whether bench tests are appropriate for a specific tribological problem. All conceivable aspects of wear test procedures are thought through including the pitfalls encountered in testing laboratories. Several case studies from the author’s own experience are highlighted. This book differs from other books in providing the details of how to conduct tribological tests, including the finer details that are known only to the technicians who conduct the actual tests. This is a comprehensive manual with the ASTM seal of approval. Before one refers to the ASTM Standard volumes on wear testing, it would be useful to refer to this book based on one’s practical requirements. Your problem might have already been covered in one of the examples. There are several non-standard tests discussed in the book. If none of the test methods described in the book is useful, there is scope to devise your own method, as evidenced by the industry specific methods covered in the book.
It would have been useful if all of the figures/geometries in the book had ASTM numbers attached to them for convenience. A list of labs that perform various wear tests according to ASTM procedures would be a welcome addition. There is no section numbers making it hard to follow the sub sections in a chapter.
The style of the book follows the well known A4 size double column of ASTM standard volumes. I personally find the font and layout unimpressive. The photos were not reproduced to a high quality, and the diagrams could have been drawn professionally. There are a few minor spelling errors which you generally do not find in any ASTM books.
Kenneth Budinski, the author of this book, is a metallurgist who has spent over 40 years working in wear of materials in an industrial setting. He has been a member of Committee G02 of the ASTM (on wear and erosion) since 1970. Based on his experience in wear testing, he has presented a scholarly book to the students and professional in the fields of tribology, materials science and engineering. It will be an excellent resource for newcomers to tribology as well as a reference text for practicing tribologists.
For more on Guide to Friction, Wear, and Erosion Testing, visit the ASTM International web site. |
