Generalized Assessment of Wear Resistance of Polymer Materials for Metal-Polymer Plain Bearings

In order to optimally select antifriction polymer materials (PMs) for metal-polymer plain bearings, the method of system triboanalysis is considered, including model tribotesting of PMs and calculation of generalized wear resistance characteristics depending on specific friction forces. The method is used to assess the wear resistance of several existing PMs (polyamide, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyacetal, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyetheretherketone) and composites based on them. Experimental studies are performed using an end-friction tribometer. The obtained wear resistance characteristics are the basic parameters of a well-known mathematical model describing the kinetics of material wear during sliding friction and an analytical method for calculating metal-polymer plain bearings. The research results are presented in the form of diagrams covering a wide range of specific friction forces, which allows for a visual comparison of antifriction PMs by wear resistance. The friction patterns of PMs in a pair with 45 steel are established, the qualitative and quantitative influence of the filler type on the wear resistance of the specified polymer materials is analyzed. In each group of PMs under consideration, a material with maximum wear resistance in comparison with the base (unfilled) polymer is found.