Friction tests were conducted on self-matched pairs of medium-carbon steel using a pin-disk tribometer in an ambient laboratory environment with and without wear-debris removal, in order to clarify the influence of wear debris on the tribological properties of steels that were exposed to magnetic fields. The wear debris and worn surface were observed and analyzed. In the case that the wear debris was removed, the vast majority of wear debris was large, scarce oxidation, and no agglomeration, the grooves of various shapes and discontinuities, and no oxide layer were formed on the worn surface, severe wear occurred throughout the friction process. When the wear debris was not removed, the wear debris became fine, agglomeration and oxidation, a debris layer was formed on the worn surface, and the wear mode transitioned from severe to mild occurred during friction process. The results reveal that the re-entering of wear debris into the friction area is essential for the formation of a wear-debris layer and that an anti-wear effect can be achieved via the wear-debris layer formed on the worn surface during the friction process with a magnetic field.
Keywords: magnetic field; mechanism; medium-carbon steel; wear; wear debris.