AN ANALYSIS OF THE WEAR OF POLYMERS

This paper describes an experimental programme used to evaluate the we ar characteristics of a number of commercially available polymers when sliding against a steel counterface. A vertical pin-on-disc machine a nd a horizontal pin-on-disc machine were employed, using discs made fr om heat-treated, stress-relieved 4140 and AISI 1018 steels. All the te sts were conducted at ambient temperature and humidity. The results sh owed that there is no relationship between wear and friction. The resu lts also showed that the counterface roughness affected the wear behav iour of the polymers tested and that this should be considered in any model being developed for the wear of polymers.