Wear and Friction Behavior of Stainless Steel and Aluminium Alloys: Role of Pin Diameter and Track Size in Dry Sliding Experiments

Abstract

Tribological characterization of materials is critical due to their extensive use in various industrial applications, where friction and wear significantly affect performance and longevity. Tribological studies helps to identify the material suitability for specific applications based on wear resistance, frictional performance, and durability under given conditions. Stainless steel (SS304, SS304L, SS316) and aluminium (Al6061, Al6082) alloys, were selected to understand their performance in dry sliding conditions. This study presents a comparative tribological analysis of stainless steels (SS304, SS304L, SS316) and aluminium alloys (Al6061, Al6082) under dry sliding conditions using a pin-on-disk tribometer. The novelty lies in evaluating the influence of pin diameter (6 mm and 8 mm) and track diameter (60–120 mm) on wear rate and coefficient of friction (CoF). Results show that Al6061 exhibited the highest wear rate (0.0676 mm3/N·m) and CoF up to 0.7, particularly under 20 N load and small track diameter (60 mm). In contrast, SS316 demonstrated the lowest wear rate (0.0023 mm3/N·m) and stable CoF (0.4), particularly under 10 N load and larger track diameter (120 mm), indicating superior wear resistance. The study reveals that smaller pin and track diameters intensify contact stress, accelerating wear in softer materials. © 2025 The Aeronautical and Astronautical Society of the Republic of China. All rights reserved.