Nanotribology in austenite: Plastic plowing and crack formation

Abstract Especially during the run-in phase of metal friction, plasticity develops in the contact zone. If well controlled, the plasticity will lead to an improved microstructure that exhibits low wear rates during machine operation. We investigate the plasticity due to a single stroke of a micrometer-sized asperity to understand fundamentally tribology induced plasticity and microstructure formation. We find that the local crystal orientation has a significant influence on the development and spread of plasticity. Additionally, the complex three-dimensional stress state results in the formation of non-obvious plastic slip patterns. Finally, we observe crack formation in the scratch track even during the single stroke experiments.