Friction and Wear Behavior of Cobalt

An investigation has been made of the friction and wear behavior of polycrystalline cobalt, over a wide range of rubbing conditions, to establish the general pattern of wear. Evidence has been obtained for the occurrence of three transitions, namely, mild to severe wear at low loads and speeds, severe wear back to mild at higher loads and speeds and a change to a particularly severe form of wear that has been related to the transformation of cobalt from α to β form in the vicinity of contacting asperities.