Scuffing Wear
The metal flake in the center of this image is a silver
scuffing wear particle. This is scuffing wear from a
silver coated contact in this 8400kVA Transformer. The source contact may be in the
breaker or a load tap changer sharing the same oil
volume
Transmitted Oblique Off Crossed Circular Polarized Light and Reflected Darkfield
Illumination
Definition/Function:
Scuffing wear particles are created by the sliding of a smooth surface over the smooth
surface of a metal. The result is a smooth metal
flake with no edge relief and fine striations that are not necessarily parallel to any
specific flake geometry.
Significance in the Environment:
Silver scuffing wear in a transformer oil sample indicates that the oil volume is being
shared with a circuit breaker or a load tap changer
having silver coated contact surfaces.
Characteristic Features:
A scuffing wear particle is a smooth metal flake with no edge relief and fine striations
that are not necessarily parallel to any specific
flake geometry. These particles can be quite thin but quite large in two dimensions.
Associated Particles:
References:
