Wear Properties of Plastics

Abstract

Properties of friction and wear of Nylon and polyethylene sliding over steel under unlubricated condition were investigated by using a special apparatus ; the amount of wear, the temperature of the sliding surface and the coefficient of friction could be measured at the same time during test. It was found that the temperature of the sliding surface was closely related to properties of wear. The behavior of friction was discussed from adhesion theory, taking account of the temperature dependence of yield pressure and shear strength. The following expression independent of experimental conditions was derived T₀+kμpV=T_s for the usable limit, where T_s is the characteristic temperature of material, 120°C for high density polyethylene and 190°C for Nylon-6 and k is a constant depending on experimental conditions. γ-ray irradiation to polyethylene makes T_s high and improves its wear properties, but the irradiation was not so effective for Nylon.