A Global Tribological Approach of Friction Dry Contact Polymer with SGF on Steel, in Terms of Consequences on Metallic Surface Condition (Comparative Wear Coefficients of Steel Surface)

Abstract

In this paper, we present a global tribological approach of friction dry contact polymer with SGF on steel, in terms of consequences on metallic surface condition (comparative wear coefficients of polished steel surface) based on extensive experimental determinations between the value and the evolution of the friction coefficient, wear of steel surfaces and contact temperature, in the case of linear dry contact, for thermoplastic material reinforced with short glass fibers (SGF) and various steel surfaces. The aim was to highlight the evolution of the wear process depending on the friction coefficient, as well as the dependence of the loading wear and the sliding speed. Wear depth and volume were calculated based on the “wear imprint” method. As a result, it was possible to graphically illustrate the evolution of the friction coefficient, of the contact temperature, and the change of the wear process, emphasizing the abrasive, adhesive and corrosive wear. The evolution of the plastic material transfer function of the contact temperature, namely of the power lost by friction was highlighted. It has been demonstrated that in the case of a 30% SGF content it can reach and even exceed contact temperatures very close to the yield limit of the plastic material. The influence of the normal load and sliding speed was evaluated in detail. The influence of SGF content, normal load, relative sliding speed and contact temperature over the metal surface wear and over the nature of wear mechanism was recorded. The reaction to wear of different steel surfaces in linear dry friction contact on polymers with SGF (polyamide + 20% SGF, polyamide + 30% SGF and polycarbonate with 20% SGF), observing the friction influence over the metallic surfaces wear. The paper includes also its analysis over the steel’s wear from different points of view: the reinforcement content influence and tribological parameters (load, contact pressure, sliding speed, contact temperature, etc.). Thus, authors' findings related to the fact that the abrasive component of the friction force is more significant than the adhesive component are presented, which generally is specific to the polymers’ friction. Authors’ detections also state that, in the case of the polyamide with 30% glass fibres, the steel surface linear wear rate order are of 10-4mm/h, respectively the order of volumetric wear rate is of 10-6cm3/h. The resulting comparative volumetric wear coefficients are of the order (10-11to 10-12) cm3/cm and respectively linear wear coefficients of 10-9mm/cm.