Mechanical Aspect of Seizing in Metal Wear

Alloys of the class called “self-lubricated” alloys have a resistance to “accelerated mechanical abrasion” which it has not been possible to duplicate by external lubrication. Alloys in this class include gray cast iron (graphite lubricant), oil-impregnated powder-metal compositions (oil lubricant) and leaded copper-base and iron-base alloys (lead lubricant). It is the purpose of this paper to present the mechanical aspect of seizing in metal wear which accounts in a qualitative manner for the observed phenomena in accelerated mechanical abrasion. The mechanical analysis also explains the failure of externally lubricated alloys to equal the performance of self-lubricated alloys.