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About me

I am responsible of the research services and the infrastructure of Tampere Wear Center and the materials characterization facilities. My particular research interests are the high stress abrasive and impact wear of steels, characterization of wear mechanisms, and assessment of the relevance of laboratory wear test methods in regard of the in-service performance of steels and other wear resistant materials.

Main positions of trust

Societal Interaction Council of Tampere University, member, 2019-
Faculty Council of Engineering and Natural Sciences, member, 2019-
Community expert group on interaction and communications, member, 2022-
Tribologia - Finnish Journal of Tribology, editor, 2012-
Finnish Society for Tribology, board member, 2014-
Organiziner of the annual TWC International Wear Seminar 2009-

Research fields

Materials science, wear of materials, materials characterization

Selected publications

 I have over 70 peer-reviewed scientific articles and about 70 other scientific publications, including conference papers with h-index 22 (Scopus). 

Key publications:

Valtonen, K., Ojala, N., Haiko, O., Kuokkala, V.-T. Comparison of various high-stress wear conditions and wear performance of martensitic steels, Wear 426–427:3-13(2019).

Chintha, A.R., Valtonen, K. Kuokkala, V.-T., Kundu, S. Peet, M., Bhadeshia, H.K.D.H. Role of fracture toughness in impact-abrasion wear, Wear 428–429:430-437(2019).

Valtonen, K., Ratia, V., Ramakrihnan, K.R., Apostol, M., Terva, J., Kuokkala, V.-T., Impact wear and mechanical behavior of steels in subzero conditions. Tribology International 129:476-493(2019). 

Valtonen, K., Keltamäki, K., Kuokkala, V.-T., High-stress abrasion of wear resistant steels in the cutting edges of loader buckets, Tribology International 119: 707–720(2018).

Valtonen, K., Ratia, V., Ojala, N., Kuokkala, V.-T., Comparison of laboratory wear test results with the in-service performance of cutting edges of loader buckets, Wear 388-389:93-100(2017).

Ojala, N., Valtonen, K., Minkkinen, J. & Kuokkala, V.-T. Edge effect in high speed slurry erosion wear tests of steels and elastomers, Wear 388-389:126-135(2017).

Ojala N., Valtonen K., Antikainen, A., Kemppainen, A., Minkkinen, J., Oja, O., Kuokkala V.-T. Wear performance of quenched wear resistant steels in abrasive slurry erosion, Wear 354-355:21-31(2016).

Oksanen, V., Valtonen, K., Andersson, P., Vaajoki, A., Laukkanen, A., Holmberg, K. & Kuokkala, V. T. 2015. Comparison of laboratory rolling-sliding wear tests with in-service wear of nodular cast iron rollers against wire ropes, Wear 340-341:73-81(2015).

Lindroos, M., Valtonen, K., Laukkanen, A., Holmberg, K., Kuokkala, V-T., Kemppainen, A., Wear behavior and work hardening of high strength steels in high stress abrasion, Wear 322-323:32-40(2015).

Ojala, N., Valtonen K., Heino V., Kallio M., Aaltonen J., Siitonen P. & Kuokkala, V.-T., Effects of composition and microstructure on abrasive wear performance of quenched wear resistant steels, Wear 317(1–2): 225–232(2014).

Ojala, N., Valtonen, K., Kivikytö-Reponen, P., Vuorinen, P., Siitonen, P. & Kuokkala, V.-T., The effect of test parameters on large particle high-speed slurry erosion testing, Tribology - Materials, Surfaces & Interfaces 8(2):98-104(2014).

Ratia, V., Valtonen, K., Kemppainen, A., Vippola, M., Kuokkala, V.-T., High-Stress Abrasion and Impact-Abrasion Testing of Wear Resistant Steels, Tribology Online 8(2):152-161(2013).

Latest publications