A 2002 workshop on galling wear held by ASTM International Committee G02 on Wear and Erosion provided the impetus for the development of a new standard, ASTM G196, Test Method for Galling Resistance of Material Couples. The new standard is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee G02.40 on Non-Abrasive Wear. According to Scott Hummel, Ph.D., associate professor, head of the department of mechanical engineering at Lafayette College, and chair of Committee G02, the primary application of ASTM G196 will be characterizing the galling resistance of unlubricated metals, in particular stainless steel.
“Although stainless steel has high corrosion resistance, its wear resistance is relatively low,” says Hummel, who also notes that, “in certain applications, such as medical instrumentation, lubrication is either minimal or nonexistent. With its low wear resistance, stainless steel can rapidly experience severe wear, which would render components inoperable. ASTM G196 can be helpful in providing designers and engineers better galling resistance data so that they can make more informed decisions when selecting materials for their applications.”
In addition to medical instrumentation, ASTM G196 will be useful in the nuclear power industry, where stainless steel components are often coupled via threaded connections. These types of connections are prone to galling wear. In the food processing industry, stainless steel pumps are used to move food products. Lubrication is often inadequate in this application and can lead to galling wear between mated pump components.
According to Hummel, interested parties are welcome to participate in G02’s standards developing activities. “We are always seeking more participation,” says Hummel. “G02 is concerned with all aspects of wear and erosion, including friction. Several of our members also serve on Committee D02 on Petroleum Products and Lubricants because lubrication and wear are very much related.”
ASTM International standards can be purchased from Customer Service (phone: 610-832-9585; https://www.astm.org/contact/) or at www.astm.org. For technical Information, contact Scott Hummel, Ph.D., Lafayette College, Easton, Pa. (phone: 610-330-5587; hummels@lafayette.edu). Committee G02 meets June 24-25, 2009, in Norfolk, Va. For ASTM meeting or membership information, contact Kate McClung, ASTM International (phone: 610-832-9717; kmcclung@astm.org).
Release #8125/Dec08