Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 February 2011
In order to have a knowledge on electron emission from wearing metal surfaces under frictional heating, we investigated thermally stimulated electron emission (TSEE) phenomena together with thermoelectronic emission for 14 kinds of scratched metal surfaces, Al, Ti, V, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo, W, Pd, Pt, Ag and Au. The scratched metal surfaces in ambient air were thermally stimulated in a constant heating rate ranged from 1.3 to 4.4 °C/s from room temperature to 700 °C in a residual gas pressure of 10-4Pa in a vacuum chamber. During the stimulation, a channeling type secondary electron multiplier detected the electrons emitted from the scratched metal surfaces. The TSEE glow curves and the integrated electron emission intensities over tested temperature range for the metals are presented and the emission mechanisms are discussed.