A thermodynamically consistent wear modeling approach based on damage accumulation

Due to the diversity of mechanisms involved, wear is very complex to model. Wear models are mostly empirical, and they sometimes fail to accurately predict wear evolution. In this paper, a damage-based wear modeling approach is developed in the framework of continuum thermodynamics. The model is physically consistent and aims at accounting for the progressive accumulation of near-surface degradation leading to material detachment. A thermodynamic driving force associated with wear is derived under the form of an energy release rate. Wear evolution is then driven by the accumulation of near-surface damage, and wear occurs when the surface damage value reaches a threshold. The damage evolution problem is treated using the thick level set approach, providing a non-local formulation for damage evolution. Numerical simulations are conducted on a fretting test case using the finite element method, and the results compared to those obtained with a classical friction energy wear law.