Study on the Corrosion and Wear Mechanism of a Core Friction Pair in Methanol-Fueled Internal Combustion Engines

With the global shift in energy structure and the advancement of the “double carbon” strategy, methanol has gained attention as a clean low-carbon fuel in the engine sector. However, the corrosion–wear coupling failure caused by acidic byproducts, such as methanoic acid and formaldehyde, generated during combustion severely limits the durability of methanol engines. In this study, we employed a systematic approach combining the construction of a corrosion liquid concentration gradient experiment with a full-load and full-speed bench test to elucidate the synergistic corrosion–wear mechanism of core friction pairs (cylinder liner, piston, and piston ring) in methanol-fueled engines. The experiment employed corrosion-resistant gray cast iron (CRGCI), high chromium cast iron (HCCI), and nodular cast iron (NCI) cylinder liners, along with F38MnVS steel and ZL109 aluminum alloy pistons. Piston rings with DLC, PVD, and CKS coatings were also tested. Corrosion kinetic analysis was conducted in a formaldehyde/methanoic acid gradient corrosion solution, with a concentration range of 0.5–2.5% for formaldehyde and 0.01–0.10% for methanoic acid, simulating the combustion products of methanol. The results showed that the corrosion depth of CRGCI was the lowest in low-concentration corrosion solutions, measuring 0.042 and 0.055 μm. The presence of microalloyed Cr/Sn/Cu within its pearlite matrix, along with the directional distribution of flake graphite, effectively inhibited the micro-cell effect. In high-concentration corrosion solutions (#3), HCCI reduced the corrosion depth by 60.7%, resulting in a measurement of 0.232 μm, attributed to the dynamic reconstruction of the Cr₂O₃-Fe₂O₃ composite passive film. Conversely, galvanic action between spherical graphite and the surrounding matrix caused significant corrosion in NCI, with a depth reaching 1.241 μm. The DLC piston coating obstructed the permeation pathway of formate ions due to its amorphous carbon structure. In corrosion solution #3, the recorded weight loss was 0.982 mg, which accounted for only 11.7% of the weight loss observed with the CKS piston coating. Following a 1500 h bench test, the combination of the HCCI cylinder liner and DLC-coated piston ring significantly reduced the wear depth. The average wear amounts at the top and bottom dead centers were 5.537 and 1.337 μm, respectively, representing a reduction of 67.7% compared with CRGCI, where the wear amounts were 17.152 and 4.244 μm. This research confirmed that the HCCI ferrite–Cr carbide matrix eliminated electrochemical heterogeneity, while the DLC piston coating inhibited abrasive wear. Together, these components reduced the wear amount at the top dead center on the push side by 80.1%. Furthermore, mismatches between the thermal expansion coefficients of the F38MnVS steel piston (12–14 × 10⁻⁶/°C) and gray cast iron (11 × 10⁻⁶/°C) resulted in a tolerance exceeding 0.105 mm in the cylinder fitting gap after 3500 h of testing. Notably, the combination of a HCCI matrix and DLC coating successfully maintained the gap within the required range of 50–95 μm.