Friction, Wear, and Evaporation Rates of Various Materials in Vacuum to 10−7mm Hg

Abstract

Evaporation data on soft metals, lubricating inorganic compounds, and various reference materials are reported for temperatures from 75 to 1000 F in vacuum as low as 10⁻⁷ mm Hg. Observations on modes of vacuum degradation (e.g., evaporation or dissociation) and methods of experimentation are related. Friction and wear data are presented for several unlubricated metals (e.g., type 440-C steel) and metals coated with inorganic (e.g., MoS₂, CaF₂) as well as with soft metal films in vacuum at ambient pressures between 10⁻⁶ and 10⁻⁷ mm Hg.