Influence of different corrosive environments on friction and wear characteristics of lubricated wire ropes in a multi-layer winding system

•The COF of lubricated wire ropes fluctuates between approximately 0.15 and 0.28.•It is mainly adhesive wear of wire rope under different lubrication conditions.•Corrosive solutions degrade the protective properties of lubricating grease/oil.•Dilute sulfuric acid solution is the most harmful to lubricated wire ropes.•Corrosive environment can degrade the performance of a lubricant before it fails.