Influence of low temperatures of friction and wear

A brief review of studies on low-temperature friction are briefly reviewed. A facility and technique for studying friction both in air and in vacuum at temperatures of +20 and -190 C is described. Results of a wear study of structural steels operating together with chromium steel are presented. It is shown that reduction of the test temperature in vacuum leads in certain cases to marked increase of the wear magnitude and friction coefficient. This is associated not only with the general change of the mechanical properties of the materials but also with the influence of temperature reduction on the hardening and structural formation taking place in the surface layers during friction.