The three-dimensional statistical characterization of plain grinding surfaces

In tribology, it is of importance to properly characterize the topography of rough surfaces. In this work, the three-dimensional topographies of plain grinding surfaces are measured through a white light interferometer, and their geometrical statistical features are analyzed. It is noticed that only when the total measured area is larger than a threshold value, is the statistical characterization reasonable and stable, which should be kept in mind in actual measurements. For various plain grinding surfaces, the height of asperity-summit obeys a Gaussian distribution, and the equivalent curvature radius follows a modified F-distribution. These statistical characteristics are helpful to analyze the contact and friction behaviors of rough surfaces.