SCRATCH TESTING OF ADVANCED COMPOSITE SURFACES

The friction and wear characteristics for AS4/3501-6 composites were t ested via single scratch tests by a Vickers diamond indenter. Variable s for the tests were the orientation of the surface ply fibers with re spect to the scratch direction and the normal load applied to the inde nter. The scratch velocity was held constant at 0.89 mm/s. The orienta tion of the fibers in the surface ply had little effect on the coeffic ient of friction. The normal load also had little effect on the value of the friction coefficient, but at higher loads, the data showed less scatter than at lower loads. The wear profiles for the scratches were shown to be very random, both from scratch to scratch, and within eac h furrow. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Limited.