An approach to friction and wear properties of polytetrafluoroethylene composite

In this study, the effect of applied load and sliding speed on friction and wear behaviour of 25 wt% bronze filled polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composite is experimentally examined and analytically analysed. Friction and wear tests of PTFE composite against AISI 440C stainless steel were carried out under dry conditions using a pin-on-disc arrangement. Regression analysis was carried out to develop an equation in which the wear behaviour of the material is expressed in terms of applied load and sliding speed. It was observed that, at both low and high sliding speed values, the coefficient of friction of PTFE composite decreases with the applied load increase. In addition, for the range of applied load and sliding speeds of this investigation, applied load was found to be the most significant factor affecting the coefficient of friction of the 25% bronze filled PTFE. Sliding speed seemed to have the least effect on the coefficient of friction of the 25% bronze filled PTFE. Furthermore, the specific wear rate for 25% bronze filled PTFE decreases linearly with an increase in load and its values were in the order of 10(-5) mm(3)/N m. Moreover, regression analysis showed that the contour diagram results obtained from these equations are very close to the experimental results. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.