Measuring and testing – By abrasion – milling – rubbing – or scuffing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-08
2001-05-15
Williams, Hezron (Department: 2856)
Measuring and testing
By abrasion, milling, rubbing, or scuffing
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230544
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a frictional wear testing apparatus and frictional wear testing method for measuring wear resistance (anti-abrasion) characteristics of metal material or ceramic material.
Since ceramics are very hard, in the case where the evaluation of the wear resistance characteristics is performed in a general frictional wear testing method such as a pinion disc method or an abrasion testing method, the wear is hardly, developed. As a result, the measurement takes a long time and the measurement error is also remarkable. Then, in order to solve this problem, an erosion frictional wear test is proposed as a frictional wear testing method.
In this erosion frictional wear test, injection material containing grinding particles in an accelerated gas flow is injected onto a test piece such as a ceramic member for a constant period of time, and the mass reduction or the frictional worn volume of the test piece is measured for the evaluation. This is a very simple method because a size of the test piece to be used is such as a bending strength test piece defined by JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards), for example. In addition, the test is superior in produceability of data. Thus, the test has excellent features in comparison with the general frictional wear tests.
However, in the method such as an erosion frictional wear test using the injection material which is obtained by mixing air and grinding particles, since the grinding particles and the cutting debris of the test piece is likely to fly and drift in the air, it is necessary to enhance air-tight property of an injection chamber in order to prevent the grinding particles or the like from leaking to the outside of the injection chamber. Also, it is necessary to provide a device such as a dust collection filter or a cyclone for collecting the particles or the like. The overall apparatus is large in size and complicated in construction, resulting in increased cost.
Also, since the particles drift for a while after the injection material has been injected, if the injection chamber is opened to pick up the test piece immediately after the completion of the test, there is a fear that the particles would be dispersed to the outside. Accordingly, in the case where the test piece is picked up after the completion of the test, one has to wait until the grinding particles drifting in the injection chamber are completely removed. Therefore, it takes a long time for one measurement.
Also, in the method for mixing the grinding particles into the accelerated air flow, the collision force by which the grinding particles are collided against the test piece depends upon the humidity. In addition, the higher the humidity, the more the error will become. It is necessary to set the humidity at a constant level for every measurement within the injection chamber in order to suppress the measurement error. Accordingly, the conventional method suffers from a problem that the testing operation is very complicated and troublesome.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-noted defects, an object of the present invention is to provide a very novel frictional wear testing apparatus and a frictional wear testing method by which injection material injected to a test piece is not dispersed, the frictional wear characteristics may be measured for a short period time in very simplified steps, a measurement error is suppressed with a good reproduceability and it is possible to make the apparatus small in size.
In order to attain this and other objects, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a frictional wear testing apparatus for measuring anti-wear characteristics of a test piece such as a metal member or a ceramic member, comprising a fixing mechanism for fixing the test piece and an injection mechanism for reducing a mass of the test piece by injecting injection material, in which grinding particles are mixed into liquid, to the test piece fixed to the fixing mechanism together with pressurized air.
In the frictional wear testing apparatus according to the first aspect, according to a second aspect of the invention, particles which have been mixed into the injection material are one selected from the group consisting of resin particles, metal particles, ceramic particles and glass particles having a particle size of several microns to several hundreds microns, and liquid is one selected from the group consisting of water, aqueous solution such as alkaline solution and alcohol solutions.
Also, in the frictional wear testing apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention, according to a third aspect of the invention, the fixing mechanism comprises a rotational mechanism which may adjust a contact angle between the injection material and the test piece by rotating the test piece fixed to the fixing mechanism.
Also, in the frictional wear testing apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, according to a fourth aspect of the invention, the fixing mechanism comprises a rotational mechanism which may adjust a contact angle between the injection material and the test piece by rotating the test piece fixed to the fixing mechanism.
Also, in the frictional wear testing apparatus according to the third aspect of the invention, according to a fifth aspect of the invention, the rotational mechanism is set so that an injection travel distance of the injection material injected to the test piece is kept constant even if the test piece is rotated.
Also, in the frictional wear testing apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the invention, according to a sixth aspect of the invention, the rotational mechanism is set so that an injection travel distance of the injection material injected to the test piece is kept constant even if the test piece is rotated.
Also, in the frictional wear testing apparatus according to any one of the preceding aspects 1 to 6, according to a seventh aspect of the invention, a collection mechanism for collecting the injection material injected from the injection mechanism to the test piece is provided below the test piece fixed to the fixing mechanism, the collection mechanism and the injection mechanism are connected to each other by a flow delivery mechanism for delivering the injection material, and the injection material injected to the test piece is again injected from the injection mechanism to the test piece through the collection mechanism and the flow delivery mechanism.
Also, in the frictional wear testing apparatus according to the seventh aspect of the invention, according to an eighth aspect of the invention, the collection mechanism comprises an agitating mechanism for mixing the grinding particles and the liquid of the injection material within the collection mechanism substantially at a constant ratio and in a uniform manner.
Also, according to a ninth aspect of the invention, there is provided a frictional wear testing apparatus for measuring anti-wear characteristics of a test piece such as a metal member or a ceramic member, comprising a fixing mechanism for fixing the test piece and an injection mechanism for reducing a mass of the test piece by injecting injection material to the test piece fixed to the fixing mechanism together with pressurized air, the injection material is obtained by mixing grinding particles, which are one selected from the group consisting of resin particles, metal particles, ceramic particles and glass particles having a particle size of several microns to several hundreds microns, into solutions, which are one selected from the group consisting of water, aqueous solution such as alkaline solution and alcohol solutions, the fixing mechanism comprises a rotational mechanism which may adjust a contact angle between the injection material and the test piece by rotating the test piece fixed to the fixing mechanism, the rotational mechanism is set so that the test piece fixed to the fixing mechanism is located on an axis of rotational mechanism to keep an injection travel distance of the i
Matsubara Tooru
Tanaka Minoru
Fayyaz Nashmiya
Maocho Co., Ltd.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Williams Hezron
LandOfFree
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