Macroscopic Evidence of Thermally Activated Friction with Polytetrafluoroethylene

Authors: Burris, David; Perry, Scott; Sawyer, W.

Source: Tribology Letters, Volume 27, Number 3, September 2007 , pp. 323-328(6)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

Under macroscopic pin-on-disk testing the sliding friction coefficient of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) was investigated over a temperature range of approximately 200-400 K. This study examines the nature of the temperature dependence by testing PTFE pins at varying temperature and humidity on a linear reciprocating pin-on-disk tribometer. The friction coefficient increased monotonically with decreasing temperature from μ = 0.075to μ = 0.210 in a manner consistent with thermal activation; it deviated from this trend only during phase and glass transitions in the PTFE and temperatures below the frost-points for the respective environments.

Keywords: Cryogenic tribology; Polytetrafluoroethylene; PTFE; Solid lubrication

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11249-007-9237-6

Affiliations: 1: Email: wgsawyer@ufl.edu

Publication date: 2007-09-01