scope:

Polishing wear has been known to occur on piston rings, cylinder bores, valve lifters, hydraulic components, rolling-element bearings and gear teeth. The bright, polish surfaces may look good, but polishing wear is detrimental because it is a high wear phenomenon which reduces the geometric accuracy of the components. A case history is presented of a gearbox which suffered extensive polishing wear of the gear teeth and rolling-element bearings. The results of research into the basic mechanism of polishing wear, and laboratory analyses of materials and lubricants are presented. Polishing wear is shown to be due to fine-scale abrasion. It is promoted by a combination of a fine abrasive and a gear oil with chemically-active additives.