Wear of Stainless steel against brass in corrosive environment

CPless · Feb 14, 2005

I'm trying to determine the best materials to use for an application that resemebles a chain in a track. The chain (designed like a bike chain) material will be under heavy loading (torsional) and will be riding in the track. I was thinking of using stainless steel (like 440C) for the track and covering the chain links which are already steel with a brass shoe of some sort on the mating surfaces. All this will be in a ocean environment so corrosion is also a big issue...
I'm thinking that the SS will be abraded by the breakdown of it's oxide layer and subsequenetly loose corrosion resistence.
Any ideas for materials and or surface treatments that would help?

btrueblood · Feb 14, 2005

Could you use a polyethylene or Teflon shoe instead?

unclesyd · Feb 14, 2005

Here is a better material (UHMW) as mention above for the track than 440C.
You can also get Sprockets made from this material.
You are correct in say that the 440C will wear under your conditions.
Chains don't like to be twisted.
What is the chain material?
We use a similar product on some very highly loaded drag chains

http://www.plastic-products.com/convey2.htm

CPless · Feb 15, 2005

I was concerned that a polymer would not be dimensionaly stable enough. We'd like to keep the tolerences pretty tight. The chain material is a high strength steel I think 4140. The chain portion is a vertical conveyor which is linked and is pulled through the track near vertically. There we be a significant moment on the links of the chains carrying weight which will cause both drag and wear.

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Wear of Stainless steel against brass in corrosive environment

CPless

Materials

btrueblood

Mechanical

unclesyd

Materials

CPless

Materials

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