Effect of Square Texture on Tribological Properties of Nano-SiO2/POB-PTFE Composites

In order to study the seal design problem of piston rings in Stirling engine, on the basis of filling PTFE with Nano-SiO2 and POB and preparing the GCr15 contact surface with square texture by HM20-I laser marking machine, experiments were carried out on LSR-2M wear tester by indirect weighing and in-situ observation methods. Optical microscope (OM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to observe the evolution of Nano-SiO2/POB-PTFE composites’ transfer film on contact surface. The results showed that the square texture would shorten the running-in and transitionary periods of the composites’ tribological process, accelerate into the stationary period. The formation process of the composites’ transfer film on the square textured contact surface was also different from smooth contact surface. Although the square texture would increase wear rate, its ability to store wear debris is more conducive to the formation of reliable, uniform and continuous transfer film with a same friction direction. Obviously, reasonable design of surface texture can effectively improve the wear resistance of sealing parts made of filling modified PTFE composites, thus providing theoretical guidance for the seal design of Stirling engine piston ring.

Atomistic insights into anti-wear mechanisms and protective tribofilm formation in polytetrafluoroethylene composites

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) has a low friction coefficient but poor wear resistance (k ~ 10−3 mm3/Nm) against various surfaces. Mechanical modeling suggests that the enhanced anti-wear performance of PTFE composites (k ~ 10−5 mm3/Nm) relies on load support by filler in the matrix. Recent studies found that tribochemical polarization of PTFE polymers triggered the formation of highly protective transfer film, thus resulting in an exceptionally low wear (k ~ 10−7 mm3/Nm) in certain composites. However, atomistic interaction was believed to play an important role in the known anti-wear mechanisms, which has yet to be fully described. Here, environmental and computational experiments allowed detailed mechanistic studies for representative PTFE composites, including metal-, ceramic-, carbon-, and polymer-filled composites. Experimental results found that the protective and polarized transfer film formed only in environmental water/oxygen, which could also reduce the composite wear by 10-fold or more. Density-functional-theory (DFT) calculations revealed that the electrophilic atom at solid surface tends to defluorinate PTFE molecule, which enables the tribochemical products of polarized PTFE accumulated near the sliding surfaces. Molecular dynamics simulations suggested that the strengthening of nonbonding interactions resulted from polar polymers improved polymer composites' adhesion and cohesion strengths against steel counterface, which was responsible for the achievement of macro-scale ultralow wear in PTFE composites. The relation between the atomistic interactions and the macroscopic wear behavior of composites was systematically discussed.

Tribological study of a polymer bushing wear with a steel axle for an automatic car tensioner

This paper aims to show through a factorial experimental design significant factors on the polymeric bushing wear PA66, including their amplitude, frequency and spring height, when interacting with a steel axle SAE1018 (from Society of Automotive Engineers - SAE) in a tension belt applied. It was verified that factors as amplitude and frequency are significant and it was possible to propose a mathematical model to predict this wear behaviour for the proposed test. Moreover, an adhesion wear behaviour was verified, whereof a polyamide film was observed on the axle transferred by the bushing. Through the microscopy report analysis, it was possible to see the transfer film topology characterisation for a better comprehension of the adhered polyamide film from the bushing to the axle surface.

Regularities in the formation of wear-resistant coatings on steel samples when machining them with electrical discharge

This paper considers the technology of electrical discharge machining of steel friction pairs and reports the results of experimental studies. Analysis of the experimental studies has shown that increasing the "anode-cathode" voltage leads to a sharp decrease in the micro-hardness of the surface layer. The study has also made it possible to determine the characteristic dimensions of the structural elements, the height parameters of surface roughness. The elemental composition of the resulting surface of a steel 15KHGN2TA sample differs from the composition of coatings and the surface layers of samples modified by electrical discharge machining involving various electrodes. Under the "anode-cathode" system operation mode, a thin layer of coating with a stable modified structure forms on the surface of the cathode due to dissipative processes. It is shown that the height of surface irregularities on sections after friction is higher than on the surface sections outside the friction flow, which is associated with the formation of a friction transfer film on the samples' surface. It was established that the interaction of friction of steel samples treated by electrical discharge machining forms a thin film on the surface of friction of steel samples, which leads to a change in the relief of surfaces with an increase in the height of the micro-protrusions, as well as the structuring of the transfer film in the direction of sliding. The effect of machining steel surfaces by electrical discharge on the wear resistance of metal-polymer tribosystem was established. The implementation of the devised technology could provide a significant increase in the wear resistance of metal-polymer tribojunctions

Molecular Dynamics Calculation on the Adhesive Interaction Between the Polytetrafluoroethylene Transfer Film and Iron Surface

During the friction process, the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) adhered on the counterpart surface was known as the PTFE transfer film, which was fundamental to the lubricating performance of the PTFE. However, the adhesive interaction between the iron surface and the adhered PTFE transfer film is still unclear. In present study, molecular dynamics simulations were used to reveal the adhesive interaction between the iron surface and PTFE transfer film. Based on the atomic trajectories obtained through the molecular dynamics, the interaction energy, concentration profile, radial distribution function, and mean square displacement were calculated to analyze the structure of the interface. The negative values of the interaction energy demonstrated the adhesive interaction between the PTFE transfer film and Fe surfaces, resulting in the accumulation of the PTFE transfer film on the Fe surface. Among the (100) (110), and (111) surfaces of α-Fe (110) surface owns the strongest adhesive interaction with the PTFE transfer film. Compared with the original PTFE molecule, the chain broken PTFE, hydroxyl substituted PTFE, and carbonyl substituted PTFE exhibited stronger adhesive interaction with Fe surface. The adhesive interaction between the PTFE transfer film and Fe surfaces was mainly originated from the Fe atoms and the F atoms of the adsorbate PTFE transfer film, which was governed by the van der Waals force. The bonding distance between the Fe atom and the F atom of the adsorbate PTFE transfer film is around 2.8 Å. Moreover, the chain broken of PTFE molecule and the rise of temperature can remarkably increase the mobility of polymer chains in the interface system.

A Combined Experimental and Atomistic Investigation of PTFE Double Transfer Film Formation and Lubrication in Rolling Point Contacts

Solid lubricants such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) are used in rolling-element bearings (REBs) when conventional lubrication (i.e. by fluids or greases) cannot be applied owing to extreme operating conditions (e.g. high temperatures or vacuum). Often a double transfer film mechanism is used with a cage acting as a lubricant reservoir resupplying the REB with solid lubricant by cage wear. An increase in service life of such bearings requires a better understanding of the transfer processes in the sliding and rolling contacts. Here, we investigate the effect of PTFE resupply on friction and lubricant film formation in a steel/steel and steel/glass rolling contact by tribometry and classical molecular dynamics (MD). A ball-on-disk tribometer is enhanced by a pin-on-disk sliding contact that transfers PTFE to the disk. The experiment allows simultaneous in situ measurement of friction and film thickness by white light interferometry in the rolling point contact. Increasing the pin load results in an increased PTFE film thickness in the rolling contact accompanied by a significant decrease in friction. To elucidate the observed film transfer and friction mechanism, sliding MD simulations with a newly developed density-functional-based, non-reactive force field for PTFE-lubricated iron oxide surfaces are performed. A strong adhesion of PTFE chains to iron oxide drives transfer film formation, whilst shear-induced chain alignment within PTFE results in reduced friction. The simulations reveal an anti-correlation between PTFE film thickness and friction coefficient—in agreement with the experiments. These investigations are a first step towards methods to control PTFE transfer film formation in REBs. Graphic Abstract