Analysis of Wear-Resistant Surface with Pangolin Scale Morphology by DEM Simulation

Abstract

Based on the Discrete Element Method (DEM), an abrasive wear system composed of pangolin scale models and abrasive sand was established. The wear morphology of pangolin scale models under different velocities were simulated by PFC2D®. Their wear behaviors were discussed with regard to the contact bond fields, the contact force chains, the velocity fields and the displacement fields of the abrasive wear system. Moreover, the resistance of the pangolin scale models under different velocities were analyzed. In the DEM simulation, the fracture and debris locomotion on the scale model were observed at a meso-microscopic scale. The results show that the geometrical shape of the pangolin scale is helpful for decreasing the boundary stress, with the wear rate decreasing when the velocity is higher than 0.62 m·s−1. The wear rate is no more than 0.006 g/m under the abrasive sand, with a radius of 0.11–0.20 mm. The wear rates of the pangolin scale model agree with the experimental results, and the DEM provides a new way to study the abrasive wear behavior of this non-smooth biological surface.

Keywords

• pangolin scale
• wear-resistant surface
• abrasive wear
• fracture
• DEM simulation