Abstract

Experiments showed that in the absence of an external magnetic field, the ferromagnetic materialsNi and Co undergo spontaneous magnetization of their frictional sliding surfaces as a result of tribological actions such as friction and wear. The magnetization phenomenon on the sliding surface was confirmed by measurements of the magnetic flux density and measurements of magnetic forces with a magnetic force microscopy. The mechanism of spontaneous magnetization by tribological action (tribomagnetization) is discussed in relation to the formation of elemental wear debris with a size of a few tens of nanometers, a size that is of the same order as that of a single magnetic domain particle, and of transfer particles that are formed by accumulation of debris adhering to the sliding surface in tribological processes.