Evolution Properties of Tribological Parameters for Steel Wire Rope under Sliding Contact Conditions

Friction and wear seriously affect the safety use of winding hoist wire rope and the damage is a gradual process in practical application. In this paper, the tribological properties of a wire rope under different sliding distances were investigated. The evolutions of the coefficient of friction (COF), temperature rise, and wear characteristics under different contact loads and strokes were analyzed by a series of experiments. The results show that fluctuation of the friction is large in the early stages (before 10 min) and the major peaks depend on the stroke. When the contact load is 150 N, the COF increases most rapidly. It grows from approximately 0.48 to approximately 0.61 with the sliding distance. Additionally, the temperature rise in the wear region is higher under the large stroke (30 mm) and contact load (150 N). The maximum temperature rises are approximately 7.5 °C and 7.1 °C, respectively. Furthermore, it is approximately after 7200 mm that the temperature rise reaches a relatively stable stage. The wear scar region increases with the sliding distance and the maximum wear loss is approximately 65.5 mg at a load of 150 N. The major wear mechanisms of the wire rope are fatigue and adhesion wear.