Constant Power Principle in Abrasion Testing
Abstract This paper has been mainly concerned with presenting the case for power control in abrasion testing, and the implications of the better understanding of the mechanism of abrading. It is not claimed that the test machines described are perfect in their ability to assess resistance to wear action. There is still much to be done to remove anomalies that can still occur in results. One underlying principle, that of constant rate of energy dissipation at the abrading surface, is proposed as a criterion for comparison of the validity of test design for the many different types of laboratory test in regular use for assessment of wear resistance. Modification of the Lambourn constant-slip machine to make it conform with the constant-power principle is described, and the degree of correlation with service data on tires given. The effects of several major variables on the abrasion loss of rubber tread compounds, when tested with the modified Lambourn machine, are reported, including work on combating stickiness. Experiments with the Du Pont and U. S. Bureau of Standards abraders, modified to conform to constant-power principles, are also reported in this paper. The relations between work done in mechanically grinding rubber and the energy associated with the bonds ruptured in the grinding action are considered. It is suggested that a correlation may exist between abrasion and high-temperature flexibility properties of rubber.