Standardization News

Piston ring/liner interface can contribute as much as half the total friction loss in internal combustion engines, with the resulting wear leading to reduced energy efficiency and raised emissions. A new ASTM International standard provides a method to more accurately measure small amounts of wear on curved piston ring segments and their counterfaces after lubricated bench-scale testing.

"Coupled with advanced computer simulations, bench-scale testing has become a key tool in the development of new fuel-efficient engine components," says Peter J. Blau, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and a past chairman of Committee G02 on Wear and Erosion.

The new standard, G206, Guide for Measuring the Wear Volumes of Piston Ring Segments Run Against Flat Coupons in Reciprocating Wear Tests, was developed by Subcommittee G02.40 on Non-Abrasive Wear.

According to Blau, G206 was developed to complement G181, Test Method for Conducting Friction Tests of Piston Ring and Cylinder Liner Materials Under Lubricated Conditions.

"Full-scale engine tests for new materials, coatings or lubricant formulations can be prohibitively expensive given the number of material choices and the need to establish the repeatability of results," says Blau. "Therefore, cost-effective bench-top tests can be used to prescreen candidate materials and lubricants prior to full-scale engine trials. With advances in wear-resistant materials, the precise measurement of small amounts of wear in bench-scale tests becomes essential to enable differentiation between competing coatings or surface engineering processes."

CONTACT Technical Information: Peter J. Blau, Oak Ridge National Laboratory • Oak Ridge, Tenn. • Phone: 865-574-5377 O ASTM Staff: Kathleen McClung • Phone: 610-832-9717 O Upcoming Meeting: Dec. 7-8 • In conjunction with D02 December meeting • New Orleans, La.