Abstract
Alumina often exhibits a very low wear rate when it slides against the same material at room temperature or above 800℃. Wear surface of alumina in this mild wear regime at room temperature was investigated by TEM. A thin layer with a very fine grain size structure was observed on the top surface. Dislocations were present in the bulk surface under the layer. These observations suggest that the film may act as a protective coating during the sliding contact to suppress the crack initiation on the wear surface.
