Calculation of high-speed abrasion forces for ceramic coatings based on the Hertzian contact model

Aero engine seal coatings can effectively improve the air tightness of aircraft engines and increase fuel efficiency. However, due to the frictional forces between the blades and the coating, the coating often flakes off, resulting in damage to the blades and causing economic losses. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the friction between the blades and the coating. In this paper, three ceramic-based high-temperature seal coatings with different polyphenylene ester contents and a pure Yttria-stabilised zirconia coating were prepared by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS). The hardness and modulus of elasticity of the coated surfaces were obtained by hardness and modulus of elasticity tests, and the coatings were subjected to high-speed touch abrasion tests. The Hertzian contact model was used to calculate the maximum normal contact load on the coating during the process. The test values were compared with the theoretical values and it was found that the calculated values were always greater than the test values. In order to make the Hertzian contact model more accurate in calculating the touching and abrasion forces, the contact coefficients in the Hertzian contact model were optimized. Substituting the optimized coefficients into the Hertzian contact model, the results show that the calculated results after optimizing the coefficients are much closer to the test values, with deviations from the test values ranging from 1% to 38%.