Plastics good for friction, wear and bearings
Friction is the resistance to relative motion between two surfaces. The lower the coefficient of friction is, the easier it is for the two surfaces to slide over each other. Friction causes wear and tear, which reduces the lifetime of a material. This can affect product efficiency and decrease performance, resulting in increased part replacement and maintenance costs. For example, the rough surfaces of harder sliding partners (such as steel) are more likely to cause wear in softer sliding partners. Also, where a combination of high sliding speeds and high pressing forces are at work, the sliding partners are exposed to high levels of stress.
Generally, plastics are very good wear materials with a low coefficient of friction, making them ideal for applications where friction is a consideration. In addition, the abrasion resistance of most plastics is also high under dry running conditions.
In applications such as bearings, where one part slides over another, wear is often severe. Thermoplastics work well in these applications where low friction is crucial. These thermoplastics offer a number of other benefits besides wear resistance, such as good corrosion resistance, lower weight and low noise emission. Parts made of these thermoplastics also tend to generate lower friction and heat, which increases part life and ultimately reduces maintenance costs.
