Friction and sliding wear of UHMWPE modified cotton fibre reinforced polyester composites

Ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) modified polyester-cotton composites were developed and studied for friction and sliding wear behaviour at different applied loads and UHMWPE concentrations. Sliding wear tests were conducted by using pin-on-disc apparatus. Composites in the form of the pin were tested against EN-24 steel disc. The specific wear rate of polyester reduced on reinforcement of cotton and on addition of UHMWPE. The coefficient of friction of polyester resin increased on cotton reinforcement and reduced significantly on addition of UHMWPE in cotton polyester composite. The composites exhibited reductions in specific wear rate against the normal load in the specimens those containing 7.41 or higher volume percent of UHMWPE. The significant reduction in wear rate of UHMWPE modified polyester-cotton composite has been discussed with the help of SEM observations of worn surfaces and coefficient of friction. The addition of 14.19 vol.% UHMWPE in polyester resin brought down the value of μ to nearly half to that of polyester resin and 1/3rd of cotton polyester composite.     

Friction and wear properties of Kevlar pulp reinforced epoxy composites under dry sliding condition

In this work, the friction and wear properties of Kevlar pulp reinforced epoxy composites against GCr15 steel under dry sliding condition were evaluated on a reciprocating ball-on-block UMT-2MT tribometer. The effects of Kevlar pulp content on tribological properties of the composites were investigated. The worn surface morphologies of neat epoxy and its composites were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the wear mechanisms discussed. The results show that the incorporation of Kevlar pulp into epoxy contributed to improve the friction and wear behavior considerably. The maximum wear reduction was obtained when the content of Kevlar pulp is 40 vol%. The friction coefficient of epoxy and its composites increased with load while increase in the sliding frequency induced a reverse effect. Fatigue wear and scuffing were notable for the neat epoxy. The fatigue cracks were greatly abated when the filler content was 40 vol%. The wear grooves appeared on the worn surface at higher filler content.     

Friction and dry sliding wear behavior of carbon and glass fabric reinforced vinyl ester composites

Friction and dry sliding wear behavior of glass and carbon fabric reinforced vinyl ester composites have been presented. The results show that the coefficient of friction and wear rate increased with increase in load/sliding velocity and depends on type of fabric reinforcement and temperature at the interphase. The excellent tribological characteristics were obtained with carbon fiber in vinyl ester. It is believed that a thin film formed on counterface was seems to be effective in improving the tribological characteristics. The worn surfaces examined through SEM, showed higher levels of broken glass fiber in vinyl ester compared to carbon-vinyl ester composites.     

颗粒增强铝基复合材料干滑动摩擦性能研究进展

综述了近几十年来各国对颗粒增强铝基复合材料(PRA)干滑动摩擦性能的研究成果,对PRA主要参数的测量、影响PRA耐磨性的因素和磨损机制进行了分析和总结,指出了今后的研究方向。     

Adhesive wear and frictional characteristics of UHMWPE and HDPE sliding against different counterfaces under dry contact condition

Abstract

The current work evaluates the wear and frictional performance of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) sliding against different metal counterfaces, stainless steel(SS), mild steel (MS) and aluminium (Al), under dry contact condition. The experiments were conducted using pin on disc machine at different sliding distances (0–40·32 km), 15 N applied load and 2·8 m s^–1 sliding velocity. Interface temperatures and frictional forces were measured simultaneously during the sliding, while specific wear rates were determined for every 1·68 km sliding distance. Based on the optical microscopy of the worn surface and wear track, frictional and wear results were analysed and discussed. The experimental results showed that the type of counterface material significantly influences both frictional and wear performances of the selected polymers. This was mainly due to the film transfer characteristics. Higher temperature and friction coefficient for UHMWPE and HDPE were evident when sliding took place against Al counterface. Sliding the polymers against stainless steel showed low friction coefficients compared to other counterfaces.     

Investigations on the influence of graphite filler on dry sliding wear and abrasive wear behaviour of carbon fabric reinforced epoxy composites

In this experimental study, the dry sliding wear and two-body abrasive wear behaviour of graphite filled carbon fabric reinforced epoxy composites were investigated. Carbon fabric reinforced epoxy composite was used as a reference material. Sliding wear experiments were conducted using a pin-on-disc wear tester under dry contact condition. Mass loss was determined as a function of sliding velocity for loads of 25, 50, 75, and 100 N at a constant sliding distance of 6000 m. Two-body abrasive wear experiments were performed under multi-pass condition using silicon carbide (SiC) of 150 and 320 grit abrasive papers. The effects of abrading distance and different loads have been studied. Abrasive wear volume and specific wear rate as a function of applied normal load and abrading distance were also determined.The results show that in dry sliding wear situations, for increased load and sliding velocity, higher wear loss was recorded. The excellent wear characteristics were obtained with carbon-epoxy containing graphite as filler. Especially, 10 wt.% of graphite in carbon-epoxy gave a low wear rate. A graphite surface film formed on the counterface was confirmed to be effective in improving the wear characteristics of graphite filled carbon-epoxy composites. In case of two-body abrasive wear, the wear volume increases with increasing load/abrading distance. Experimental results showed the type of counterface (hardened steel disc and SiC paper) material greatly influences the wear behaviour of the composites. Wear mechanisms of the composites were investigated using scanning electron microscopy. Wear of carbon-epoxy composite was found to be mainly due to a microcracking and fiber fracture mechanisms. It was found that the microcracking mechanism had been caused by progressive surface damage. Further, it was also noticed that carbon-epoxy composite wear is reduced to a greater extent by addition of the graphite filler, in which wear was dominated by microplowing/microcutting mechanisms instead of microcracking.     

Friction and wear behavior of three-dimensional braided carbon fiber/epoxy composites under dry sliding conditions

Sliding friction and wear characteristics of three-dimensional (3-D) braided carbon fabric reinforced epoxy resin (C_3D/EP) composites were investigated. Tests were performed on a MM200 tester under normal loads of 50, 150, and 250 N and velocities of 0.42 and 0.84 m/s. A quenched medium carbon steel with a hardness of HRC 52 was used as the counterpart material. The specific wear rate and the coefficient of friction were examined as a function of testing conditions (load, velocity, and sliding distance) and material parameters (fiber volume fraction and fiber–matrix bonding). The results showed that the coefficient of friction and the specific wear rate changed considerably during the running-in period and reached stable values at the steady wear stage. Fiber volume fraction and testing conditions (load and velocity) affected the wear more significantly than the friction. It was also found that fiber–matrix bonding had an impact on the friction and wear of the 3-D composites. Furthermore, the specific wear rate decreased with the increase in the product of load and velocity. Worn surfaces and debris were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and wear mechanisms were discussed in this study.     

Dry sliding friction and casing wear behavior of PCD reinforced WC matrix composites

The friction and casing wear properties of PCD reinforced WC matrix composites were investigated using a cylinder-on-ring wear-testing machine against N80 casing steel counterface under dry sliding conditions. The results indicate that the friction and casing wear rate of PCD reinforced WC matrix composites are the lowest among the materials. As the applied load and sliding speed steadily increase, the friction coefficients of PCD reinforced WC matrix composites decrease. In addition, the casing wear rates increase with increasing load, but decline with sliding velocity. The dominant wear mechanism of the PCD composite is the micro-cutting wear, accompanied by adhesive wear.     

The wear of wrought aluminium alloys under dry sliding conditions

The sliding wear response of several wrought aluminium alloys (2124, 3004, 5056 and 6092) against a high purity alumina (99.9%) counterface was investigated, at a fixed sliding speed of 1 m/s and a load range of 23–140 N. The counterface was chosen so as to minimise the chemically driven aspects of adhesive wear. Severe wear was observed at all loads, with specific wear rates ranging from 0.37×10⁻⁴ to 2.37×10⁻⁴ mm³/N m. In all cases a mechanically mixed layer (MML) was formed, principally from severely work hardened aluminium alloy, but also including fine alumina particles. The thickness and morphology of the layer depended strongly on alloy composition, but the specific wear rate did not depend on the MML properties in a simple manner. The surface work hardening characteristics differed between alloys, but as with the MML, there was no simple relationship between surface work hardening characteristics and specific wear rate. The main correlation was found between the normalised wear rate and normalised pressure, which implies that the hardness of the starting aluminium alloy is the critical variable.     

Wear behavior of SiC particulate reinforced aluminum composites sliding against steel balls under dry and lubricated conditions

Wear behavior of Al–Si alloys reinforced with SiC particulate has been investigated under dry and lubricated reciprocating sliding conditions using a ball-on-block wear test method. It was shown that in the dry sliding wear of the composite/steel ball system, the wear mechanism of the composite was predominantly adhesive. With further sliding motion, delamination and abrasive wear occurred as a result of fracture and debonding of the SiC particles. Under lubricated conditions, the wear rate of the composite was drastically reduced due to the presence of the lubricant, and a boundary lubrication condition existed and dominated the normal wear process. The debonding of the SiC particles from the matrix of the composite was a predominant factor in determining the wear loss of the composite in the boundary lubrication sliding process. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Dry sliding wear of fly ash particle reinforced A356 Al composites

In the present study aluminium alloy (A356) composites containing 6 and 12 vol. % of fly ash particles have been fabricated. The dry sliding wear behaviour of unreinforced alloy and composites are studied using Pin-On-Disc machine at a load of 10, 20, 50, 65 and 80 N at a constant sliding velocity of 1 m/s. Results show that the dry sliding wear resistance of Al-fly ash composite is almost similar to that of Al₂O₃ and SiC reinforced Al-alloy. Composites exhibit better wear resistance compared to unreinforced alloy up to a load of 80 N. Fly ash particle size and its volume fraction significantly affect the wear and friction properties of composites. Microscopic examination of the worn surfaces, subsurfaces and debris has been done. At high loads (>50 N), where fly ash particles act as load bearing constituents, the wear resistance of A356 Al alloy reinforced with narrow size range (53–106 μm) fly ash particles were superior to that of the composite having the same volume fraction of particles in the wide size range (0.5–400 μm).     

Dry sliding wear of short glass fibre reinforced zinc–aluminium composites

The present investigation aims to evaluate the wear rate of ZA-27 alloy composites reinforced with short glass fibres from 1 to 5% in steps of 2 wt%. The compocasting method was used to fabricate the composites. A pin-on-disc wear testing machine was used to evaluate the wear rate. The results indicated that the wear rate of the composites was less than that of the matrix alloy, but increased with the increase in load and the sliding distance. It was found that above a critical applied load, there exists a transition from mild to severe wear both in the unreinforced alloy and in the composites, but the transition loads for the composites are much higher than that of the unreinforced alloy, and increases with the increase in weight% of glass fibres. The observations have been explained using scanning electron micrography (SEM) analysis of the worn surfaces and the subsurface of the composites.     

Friction and wear of highly stressed thermoplastic bearings under dry sliding conditions

The friction and wear behavior of sliding bearings made from high temperature thermoplastics was investigated to determine the possibility of dry sliding applications. A test apparatus for plain bearing testing was designed and built to enable load, speed, and temperature to be controlled and temperature, friction and wear to be continuously monitored.Bulk material bearings (polyaryletherketone-based composites and neat polybenzimidazole) and metal-thermoplastic compound bearings with a sliding layer of polyetheretherketone were investigated. Their suitability for dry sliding bearing applications was assessed using the values of friction coefficient, wear rate and friction induced temperature.In general, the operating performance is mainly influenced by the operating conditions and the precise construction of the bearing. A fiber reinforcement of the thermoplastic matrix is necessary at high loads, whereas it is unnecessary at low loads. A further increase of the operational limits is made possible by improving the heat conduction from the contact area, as comparison with results of pin-on-disk investigations indicates. The materials tested provide operation of dry sliding bearings to temperatures over 200°C.     

Tribological behavior between micro- and nano-crystalline diamond films under dry sliding and water lubrication

The tribological behavior of micro- and nano-crystalline diamond films is evaluated in dry sliding and water lubricating condition. The main wear mechanism is found to be abrasive wear mode induced by self-polishing. Non-diamond components and higher compressive residual stresses are detected in flat MCD films after dry sliding, in comparison to NCD. Origin of decreased friction coefficient in CVD diamond tribosystems under water lubrication is attributed to the effect of water on the formed graphic material and the chemisorbing of diamond surface with H₂O, hydrogen or hydroxyl ions. For the MCD/NCD or NCD/MCD contact, the surface roughness of ball largely determines the stable friction coefficient in dry sliding, where NCD film usually presents higher wear rate.     

Friction and dry sliding wear behaviour of cermets

The friction and wear behaviour of cermets/steel rubbing pairs were investigated. Friction and wear tests were carried out using three different crèmets on the base of tungsten, titanium and chromium carbides under dry sliding conditions against steel disk (0.45% C). Sliding wear tests were carried out using modified block-on-ring equipment at a sliding speed of 2.2 m/s and normal load 40 N.It is shown that wear resistance and coefficient of friction depend on the type and chemical composition of the cermets. The WC–Co cermets have the highest wear resistance. The wear rate of WC–Co and TiC–NiMo cermets increased with increasing binder content in the cermets. The wear of Cr₃C₂–Ni cermets is more complicated and depends on the composition of cermets. The wear of WC–Co cermets is caused mainly by preferential removal of the cobalt binder, followed by fracture of the intergranular boundaries and fragmentation of the carbide grains. The main wear mechanism in the TiC–NiMo cermets is polishing (micro-abrasion) and adhesion, resulting in a low wear rate. The main wear mechanism of Cr₃C₂–Ni cermets involves thermal cracking and fatigue-related crushing of large carbide grains and carbide framework and also adhesion.     

Abrasive wear of micro- and nanocomposites based on ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE): Part 2. composites based on UHMWPE filled by nanoparticles and nanofibers

The paper presents investigation results of nanocomposites based on ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene filled by Al₂O₃, C, Cu, SiO₂ nanofillers. It is shown that nanofillers increase the abrasive resistance of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (at an abrasive graininess R240) to a much less extent (up to 55%) compared to microfillers. The structure and friction surfaces of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene and its nanocomposites have been studied by optical profilometry and microscopy, IR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. It has been proved that the abrasive wear resistance of the nanocomposites depends weakly on the filler type, but is defined by the matrix structure (crystallinity, ordering) and the abrasive graininess of the counterbody. The wear mechanisms of ultra-high-molecular-weight-polyethylene-based nanocomposites in the presence of abrasives were compared to the conditions of dry friction.     

Investigation into sliding wear performance of zinc-based alloy reinforced with SiC particles in dry and lubricated conditions

The objective of the present investigation was to assess the influence of SiC particle dispersion in the alloy matrix, applied load, and the presence of oil and oil plus graphite lubricants on the wear behaviour of a zinc-based alloy. Sliding wear performance of the zinc-based alloy and its composite containing SiC particles has been investigated in dry and lubricated conditions. Base oil or mixtures of the base oil with different percentages of graphite were used for creating the lubricated conditions. Results show a large improvement in wear resistance of the zinc-based alloy after reinforcement with SiC particles. The lubrication improved the wear resistance and friction behaviour of both the reinforced and base alloys. It was also observed that there exists an optimum concentration of graphite particles in the lubricant mixture that leads to the best wear performance. The composite experienced higher frictional heating and friction coefficient than the matrix alloy in all the cases except oil lubricated conditions; a mixed trend was noticed in the latter case. The wear rate and frictional heating increased with load while friction coefficient was affected in an opposite manner. Test duration influenced the frictional heating and friction coefficient of the samples in a mixed manner.Examination of worn surfaces revealed a change of predominating wear mechanisms from severe ploughing and/or abrasive wear for base alloy to delamination wear for the reinforced material under dry sliding conditions. The presence of the lubricant increased the contribution of adhesive wear component while reducing the severity of abrasion. This was attributed to the generation of more stable lubricant films on the contacting surfaces. Cross-sections of worn surfaces indicated substantial wear-induced plastic deformation, thereby suggesting adhesive wear to be a predominant wear mechanism in this study. The debris particles revealed deformed flakes and machining chips signifying the involvement of adhesion and abrasion modes of wear respectively.     

The role of triboparticulates in dry sliding wear

In this paper, wear processes and mechanisms for wear transitions with sliding time and temperature during sliding of a nickel-based alloy, N80A, in oxygen at temperatures to 250°C are discussed. Transitions in wear from high rates to low rates with sliding time were always observed at all the temperatures investigated. The transitions in wear were usually accompanied by transitions in contact resistance between the rubbing surfaces from nearly zero to positive high values. It was found that wear debris particles were heavily involved in the wear processes. The transitions in wear and contact resistance with sliding time mainly resulted from the development of wear-protective layers following the compaction of wear debris particles on the rubbing surfaces. The adhesion of triboparticulates to each other and to the rubbing surfaces played an important role in the rapid decrease in wear rate with sliding time and with increase in temperature. Processes involved in the development of the wear-protective particle layers and mechanisms for the wear transitions have been described on the basis of experimental observations. The importance of triboparticulates in wear and its implications for wear protection are discussed.     

Morphologies of the wear debris of polyetheretherketone produced under dry sliding conditions: Correlation with wear mechanisms

Wear debris contains extensive information on the tribological behaviours of materials [M.Q. Zhang, Z.P. Lu, K. Friedrich, On the wear debris of polyetheretherketone: fractal dimensions in relation to wear mechanisms, Tribol. Int. 30 (1997) 87–102]. Investigations on wear debris morphology will be helpful for understanding materials’ friction and wear processes. In this work, the wear debris obtained from block-on-ring (BOR) tests of three polyetheretherketones (PEEKs) with different molecular weights was studied. The mechanical properties of the three PEEKs were characterized in a previous work [G. Zhang, A.K. Schlarb, Correlation of the tribological behaviors with the mechanical properties of poly-ether-ether-ketones (PEEKs) with different molecular weights and their fiber filled composites, Wear, 2008, in press]. In this work, the influences of the mechanical properties of PEEKs and apparent pressure on wear debris morphology were studied. Based on analyzing wear debris morphologies, possibly involved tribological mechanisms were discussed. The results indicate that the tribological mechanisms have a close relationship with the morphology of the wear debris. Under low pressures, particle-like wear debris suggests that the micro-cutting effect exerted by the protruding regions of the counterpart dominates the tribological behaviour. Under high pressures, rod-like, bamboo-raft-like and film-like debris were noticed. This fact suggests that the transferring of PEEK to the counterpart and the plastic flow occurring in the PEEK surface layer play important roles on material loss.     

A study on friction and wear characteristics of nanometer Al2O3 /PEEK composites under the dry sliding condition

The friction and wear properties of the polyetheretherketone (PEEK) based composites filled with 5 mass% nanometer or micron Al₂O₃ with or without 10 mass% polytetrafluroethylene (PTFE) against the medium carbon steel (AISI 1045 steel) ring under the dry sliding condition at Amsler wear tester were examined. A constant sliding velocity of 0.42 m s⁻¹ and a load of 196 N were used in all experiments. The average diameter 250 μm PEEK powders, the 15 or 90 nm Al₂O₃ nano-particles or 500 nm Al₂O₃ particles and/or the PTFE fine powders of diameter 50 μm were mechanically mixed in alcohol, and then the block composite specimens were prepared by the heat compression moulding. The homogeneously dispersion of the Al₂O₃ nano-particles in PEEK matrix of the prepared composites was analyzed by the atomic force microscopy (AFM). The wear testing results showed that nanometer and micron Al₂O₃ reduced the wear coefficient of PEEK composites without PTFE effectively, but not reduced the friction coefficient. The filling of 10 mass% PTFE into pure PEEK resulted in a decrease of the friction coefficient and the wear coefficient of the filled composite simultaneously. However, when 10 mass% PTFE was filled into Al₂O₃/ PEEK composites, the friction coefficient was decreased and the wear coefficient increased. The worn scars on the tested composite specimen surfaces and steel ring surfaces were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A thin, uniform, and tenacious transferred film on the surface of the steel rings against the PEEK composites filled with 5 mass% 15 nm Al₂O₃ particles but without PTFE was formed. The components of the transferred films were detected by energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). The results indicated that the nanometer Al₂O₃ as the filler, together with PEEK matrix, transferred to the counterpart ring surface during the sliding friction and wear. Therefore, the ability of Al₂O₃ to improve the wear resistant behaviors is closely related to the ability to improve the characteristics of the transfer film.