Friction in tribological systems can lead to significant energy consumption and wear. While there are several dissipation mechanisms in the frictional boundary layer, the role of chemical processes is not yet fully understood. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of chemical reactions on the tribological behaviour of sliding friction pairs. To simplify the analysis, pre-designed minimal mixtures with simple components are used, and epoxy resin is chosen as the binder. A series of experiments are carried out on a pin-on-disc tribometer with different minimal mixtures. Temperature and friction coefficient are measured throughout the friction process, and the rubbed surface of the samples is measured in-situ. Three types of chemically inert minimal mixtures are developed in the first phase, and in the second phase, copper powder is added to all minimal mixtures to study the influence of copper oxidation as the main chemical reaction. The results show that the addition of copper increases the friction coefficient and the average wear volume of normal alumina samples, but has little effect on high-purity alumina samples. Following the tribometer measurements, the samples are also analysed using SEM and EDX to investigate the changes in the mixtures after the addition of copper. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the role of tribochemical processes in the boundary layer dynamics and can aid in the development of simulation tools.

Mr. Chengyuan Fang, Research Associate, TU Braunschweig, Institute for Particle Technology; Prof. Dr.-Ing. Georg-Peter Ostermeyer, Professor, TU Braunschweig, Mechanical Engineering; Prof. Dr.-Ing. Carsten Schilde, Head of Division, TU Braunschweig; Mrs. Christina Lehmann, Research Associate, TU Braunschweig, Institute for Surface Technology; Prof. Dr. Günter Bräuer, Professor and Head of Institute, TU Braunschweig, Institute for Surface Technology