14 THE ANNALS OF UNIVERSITY “DUNĂREA DE JOS “ OF GALAŢI

FASCICLE VIII, 2006 (XII), ISSN 1221-4590

TRIBOLOGY

TRIBOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF A METAL + POLYMER COMPOSITE

Lorena DELEANU1, Minodora RÎPĂ1, Iulian Gabriel BÎRSAN1,
Jan CONSTANTIN2, Petruţa BADEA3
1
The University “Dunarea de Jos” of Galati, Romania, 2CEPROINV, Focşani, Romania,
3
Mittal Steel, Galaţi, Romania
[Link]@[Link]

ABSTRACT
The paper presents experimental results when using a composite bronze +
40% PTFE for sliding bearing lubricated with water. For comparing the material
performances, samples of same geometry made of PTFE were tested.
The bronze matrix having better mechanical properties does not allow
migration of the PTFE micro-bags towards the surface, especially with water
lubrication as it keeps material temperature low and thus mechanical properties do
not reduce. The experimental work pointed out particular processes as transfer of
the composite on the steel roller, generation of wear particles, reduction of the
PTFE concentration on the composite surface.
Values of friction coefficient in water give two regions: I – at low product
(p.v), this parameter is higher, water acting only like a cooling agent, II - region
with low values, characterising an EHD regime (more probably a mixt regime with
partial water film).
Tribological characteristics (wear and friction coefficient) underline that
composite behaves much better as compared to PTFE.

KEYWORDS: composite PTFE + bronze, wear, water lubrication, superficial concentration.

1. INTRODUCTION 2. TESTING METHODOLOGY

Composites made of polymer and metallic For studying the tribological behaviour, the tribo-
materials try to combine best properties of each model having the ratio between width and diameter
constituent: plastic offer good conformability and L / d = 25 / 60 (fig. 1) takes into account the
tribological parameters, metallic material has following aspects: the material couple was stainless
mechanical strength and good thermal properties. steel (~0.4%C, ~45HRC) and composite PTFE + 60%
Studies on powder composites with polymer bronze (PTFE was used for comparing reason),
matrix [1, 2, 3, 6, 7] underline that there are a certain specific average pressure corresponds to possible
concentration for obtaining an optimum “set” of applications (sliding bearings), sliding speeds are in
properties (mechanical, thermal, tribological). For the range of 0.5...3 m/s, initial surface quality was
composites PTFE + bronze, it was experimentally similar to that of practical applications (Ra<1.6µm for
established that 60...75% bronze gives best the steel roller), parameters as water and environment
mechanical properties [7]. temperatures were kept constant, with acceptable
The two tested materials (PTFE and PTFE +60% accuracy. Specific average pressure was calculated as
bronze) are commercially available from CEPROINV ratio of applied load and area of the sliding surface of
Focşani Romania. Mechanical properties are given in the shoe on a normal plane to the load.
Table 1. Mass loss ∆mtotal and wear rate ∆mi were
Table 1
determined as
Properties 100% PTFE +
PTFE 60% bronze ∆mi = mi − mi −1 (1)
Relative density 2.15 3.9 ∆mtotal = mo − m final [g ] (2)
Shore D hardness 55 68 i takes values from 1 to 6. ∆mi is mass loss for 1500
Tensile strength [MPa] 25 15 m of sliding during the i-th running. mo (i=1) is the
elongation [%] 250 30...150
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FASCICLE VIII, 2006 (XII), ISSN 1221-4590
TRIBOLOGY

initial mass of the shoe; m final is shoe mass after initially mechanical but under pressure and thermal
field, chemical processes may occur;
10,500 m of sliding in water.
II – the transfer continues on the initial layer but
adhesion among successive layers is weakened and
the high of transfer layer is non-uniform;
III – partial or total detaching of the transferred
layer due to weak bonds between layers. PTFE is the
major cause of this sliding and detaching among
transferred layers.
The bronze matrix having better mechanical
Fig. 1 properties does not allow migration of the PTFE
1 – steel roll, 2 - shoe, 3 – rigid steel support. micro-bags towards the surface, especially with water
lubrication as it keeps material temperature low and
2. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS thus mechanical properties do not reduce. In dry
regime, shoe surface is richer in PTFE because both
3.1. Aspects of Transfer Process materials of the composite become softer and PTFE
spread (like butter) on the limiting surfaces. Study on
Blanchet [4] and Han [6] elaborated a model for Olympus microscope both on shoe surface and roller
wearing process of composites polymer + powder agree with the model [8].
taking into account the accumulation of harder Transfer of the composite to the roller is reduced
material into the tribolayer. The model was validated when using a lubricant (fig. 3) as it acts like a cooling
only for small concentration of the adding (harder) agent, evacuating the heat generated by friction and,
material (15...20%). For this composite with 60% for some set of parameters (including speed and
bronze, the model is not validated because the load), it may form continuous or partial film,
composite matrix is reversed: PTFE may be reducing friction by 10 times [8].
considered the adding material, as it is isolated in the
bronze mass.

a) b)
Fig. 3. Transfer of composite on the roller. a) After
dry regime (v=1m/s, p=0.7MPa); b) After water
lubrication.

In water, both polymer and metallic material are

not soften, detached particles are smaller and
evacuated from the contact zone by the lubricant.
Some of them are trapped in asperities’valleys.
Round shapes of transferred composite sustain the
hypothesis that wear particle are completely detached
and then pressed against metallic profile (fig. 4).
A more intense transfer was noticed near the shoe
Fig. 2. Adhesive wear model for powder composites edge, sustaining theoretical studies [8, 9]. A
with PTFE matrix [5]: 1- wear particle, 2 - initial lubricated conformal bearing has the tendency to have
transferred bands of PTFE, 3 - the second transfer, 4 - a direct contact near its edges (fig. 5) due to bearing
powder material. deformations caused by loading and thermal field.
Practically, after testing, it was noticed one single
Gong [5] proposed a physical model for polymers trace of transfer on the roller (fig. 3b): load variations
as PTFE and powder composites with low chemical and vibrations force the water to be evacuated non-
reactivity (fig. 2), with three stages: symmetrically as it happens in the theoretical model
I – generation of the first transferred film which (fig. 5 [8, 9]) when deformations are symmetrically
is or is not complete, depending on the initial PTFE distributed to a middle plane, perpendicular to the
concentration on the surface; the transfer also shoe axis.
involves the adding material. The mechanism is
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FASCICLE VIII, 2006 (XII), ISSN 1221-4590
TRIBOLOGY

Each photo was splitted in squares of 112 x 112

µm for those obtained at a scale x200 and of 250 x
250 µm for those at a scale x100 (fig. 6). Values for
each square and for the whole photo are given in
figure 9 – initial surface (after cutting), figure 10 –
shoe surface after testing in water at v=3m/s,
p=4.6MPa and figure 11 for a shoe tested in dry
regime at v=1m/s and p=0.76MPa. Both figure 10 and
figure 11 are obtained after 1500m of sliding.
Before testing, the average values of PTFE
concentration were 11...14%, due to PTFE
a) elimination by cutting process; this manufacturing
process may be considered as a sliding with severe
wear (fig. 9). One may notice the very different
shapes of the PTFE micro-volumes.

1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12

Fig. 6. Net for scanning photos.

After sliding in water, volume percentage of

PTFE on the tribolayer are 11.35-18.35% for the
studied shoes, similar to the other shoes tested in
b) water in open circuit at speed higher than 1m/s. For
Fig. 4. Steel roller after sliding in water against shoe this composite, PTFE is captive and isolated in the
made of PTFE +60% bronze (v=2.5m/s, p=3.07MPa): metallic mass and this is the reason that volume con-
a) In the central zone of the contact, b) transfer near centration on the tribolayer not significantly changed.
the shoe edge, photo made in the trace zone presented PTFE micro-bags have the tendency to become
in figure 3b. spheres under the action of stress field, maybe with
flat or cut zone on the surface. These spheres are
smaller towards the surface as the tribolayer is locally
compressed and fragmented (fig. 8).
In dry regime it was obtained a volumic
concentration of 15.7...21.5% PTFE. The micro-bags
of PTFE have the tendency of getting longer in the
sliding direction and the process of polymer transfer
is observed even on the composite (fig. 7) not only on
the steel roller (fig. 3a) in thin slices (light-grey
colours); this process is favourable to reduce friction
as presented in the model [5].
This process of generating a tribolayer of
~50...100 µm, non-uniform, compacted and thus, with
better mechanical properties without eliminating
Fig. 5. Shoe deformations along generatrix, for PTFE, is favourable to improve tribological
maximum pressure in contact, with an isothermal behaviour especially when using poor-lubricant fluids
model [8]. Shoe material has the longitudinal as water (fig. 8).
modulus of elasticity E=7000MPa, ν=0.35 (Poisson’s
coefficient) and a friction coefficient µ=0.02. Sliding 3.2. Tribological Aspects in Dry Regime
was simulated in water, under isothermal conditions.
Even if Romanian standards accept 1000 m for
Scanning was done with a resolution of 600dpi short time tests and many specialists established
(higher resolution offer similar results). As the tribological behaviour after the same distance, the
composite is made only by mechanical mixture experimental results show that these materials have
(PTFE has very low chemical response), the two the friction coefficient stable around this distance and
constituents have distinct colours, allowing an the authors had chosen 1500 m as reference.
analysis using a histogram [1, 2].
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FASCICLE VIII, 2005, ISSN 1221-4590
TRIBOLOGY

Fig. 7. Fig. 8. Tribolayer after sliding in water at v=2.5m/s

and p=3MPa.

20 1
1 average
15 2
% PTFE

2 average
10

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

a) PTFE concentration on the superficial layer (before b) Microscope field investigated for average
testing). PTFE concentration, symbol no. 2 in a).
Fig. 9.
35
1
30
1 average
25 2
% PTFE

20 2 average
15 3
10 3 average
4
5
4 average
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Fig. 10. PTFE concentration on superficial layer, after sliding 1500m in water at v=3m/s and p = 4.6 MPa.
Photo in the right is represented by no. 2 in the graph.
40 1
35 1 average
30 2
25
% PTFE

2 average
20
15
10
5
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1011 12

Fig. 11. PTFE concentration on the superficial layer of the shoe, after sliding in water at v=1m/s and
p=0.76MPa. Photo is represented by no. 2 in the diagram.
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FASCICLE VIII, 2006 (XII), ISSN 1221-4590
TRIBOLOGY

35 dry regime (fig. 14). Other ones like temperature and

left edge wear, transfer processes will be more important.
30 middle Temperature near the lateral edge of the shoe
PTFE concentration % 25 right edge (1...1.5mm from the friction surface) was measured
and it was obtained values around 100°C after
20
1500m, so this dry regime (v=0.5...1m/s and
15 F=0.5...1kN or p=0.38…0.76MPa) is not
10 recommended for practical application. It is obvious
that adding metallic material in a composite with
5 Force (kN)
polymer matrix the thermal field may be lowered (fig.
0 15 [8]).
0 1 2 3 4 5

Fig. 12. PTFE volume concentration on the surface 0.5 PTFE + 60% bronze
after sliding 10500m in water, at 2.5m/s 0.4 PTFE

µ 0.3
0.2
0.1 (p.v) [MPa.m/s]

0
0 0.5 1

Fig. 14. Minimum and maximum values of friction

coefficient for the last 5 minutes of dry sliding

PTFE + 23% cabon + 2% graphite

PTFE + 32% carbon + 3% graphite

a) The highest concentration obtained for the shoe PTFE +60% bronze
200
tested at 4KN
temperature (Celsius degrees)

150

100

50
sliding distance [m]

0
0 500 1000 1500

Fig. 15.
b) the least concentration on the same shoe, obtained
in the middle zone of the generatrix. 3.3. Water Lubrication

Fig. 13. Studying the values of friction coefficient in

water for both materials (fig. 16), two regions may be
Friction coefficient was calculated as distinct: I – at low product (p.v), this parameter is
2 ⋅ M f (i ) similar to that obtained in dry regime, water acting
µ (i ) = (4) only like a cooling agent, especially on the lateral
d ⋅ F (i ) sides of the shoe and partially in the contact zone or
where M (i ) and F (i ) are the friction moment and in the less loaded ones and II – very low friction
load on the shoe for the moment i (both parameter coefficient when speed increases.
measured with a dynamic acquisition system PTFE has lower values as it has a specific
DMCplus Hottinger-Baldwin®), d is the roller mechanism of reducing friction [1, 4, 5] and allows to
diameter. be more deformed under load; the composite is more
When choosing between these two materials, rigid and its conformability may be gain both by wear
friction coefficient is not a significant parameter in and deformation. At higher (p.v)>4 MPa.m/s, the
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FASCICLE VIII, 2006 (XII), ISSN 1221-4590
TRIBOLOGY

friction coefficient sharply drops, suggesting a water Decreasing wear rate suggests that previous
film generation for both materials. It is difficult to detached particles from both pieces may be
extrapolate the results above 15MPa.m/s as water compacted and embedded in the tribolayer of the
film may be tear-off at greater load. polymer and composite. Also, very fine water drops
may be temporarily isolated in the superficial layer.
0.35 PTFE Wear intensity calculated the 10,500m of sliding
0.3 PTFE + 60% bronze shows that PTFE has a uniform wear only for the
0.25 lowest load (p=0.7MPa).
µ 0.2
The wear intensity is lower for the longer
0.15
distance meaning that the tribolayer is compacted in
(p.v) [MPa.m/s]
time under load and so the PTFE bands are more
0.1
difficult to be tear-off. The composite has the same
0.05
parameter smaller by 8...9 times as compared to
0
PTFE and wear seems to be less sensitive to load and
0 5 10 15
sliding distance.
Fig. 16. Friction coefficient with water lubrication An analysis of the total wear (fig. 18) makes the
composite to be chosen for applications having
Wear is a tribological parameter that similar conditions to the testing ones. Authors
recommends the composite instead of polymer, for recommend this composite for continuous running at
the studied regimes. It is obvious from figure 17 that higher speed (1.5...4m/s). For lower speed as 0.5m/s,
wear rate has an oscillating character. At the
water could not generate a mixt or EHD regime, so
beginning, it is greater due the first transfer and
surface accommodation. Metallic profile cut-off many the composite surface will be worn (as a fine grinding
slices of composite. As these ones may be transferred process) by the metallic surface even if this one may
and thus, making the profile smoother, wear is have a transfer film (continuous or not). Very high
reducing (fig. 17a). The composite wear is less values were obtained for sliding in water at 0.5m/s for
dependent on load but PTFE has a severe rate for a ten times lower sliding distance.
average pressure more than p=3.07MPa. Studying wear particles, one may understand the
wear process. Thus, for PTFE, wear is a process of
0.8 100% PTFE p=0.76MPa detaching and rolling long but thin bands of polymer
0.7
(fig. 20b).
p=1.53MPa
The composite is detached in thicker and shorter
0.6 p=2.309MPa
slices. The particle is laminated but not rolled and
wear rate (g)

0.5 p=3.07MPa
fragile aspect (fig. 19a, right-down) underline that
0.4 metallic material is hardened. This particle is difficult
0.3 to be reintegrated in the tribolayer. Water flow may
sliding
0.2 evacuate them. A water film avoids intensifying the
distance (m)
0.1 fine cutting process as it occurs in direct contact.
0 In water lubrication, temperatures within the
-0.1
superficial layer have insignificant increases (fig. 20);
0 5000 10000 the regime may be considered isothermal, especially
for higher speed.
At lower speed, temperature rises more, near the
PTFE + 60% bronze p=0.76MPa
0.04 edge of the shoe, this being the zone with higher
p=1.53MPa
probability for the direct contact, as predicted by
p=2.30MPa
0.03 theoretical models [8, 9]. For the higher speed, the
p=3.07MPa
highest temperature was obtained also in the same
0.02
region, but the differences from the water source
wear rate (g)

0.01 temperature is less, meaning that the direct contact

occurs occasionally and for short times.
0 A constant temperature is indirectly the result of
0 5000 10000 stabilised regime (speed and load kept constant, thus
-0.01
a thin water film avoiding direct contact).
sliding distance (m)
-0.02

Fig. 17. Wear rate for v=2.5 m/s; water lubrication.

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FASCICLE VIII, 2006 (XII), ISSN 1221-4590
TRIBOLOGY

v=2.5m/s; 10500m of
sliding
PTFE

2 PTFE + 60% bronze

1.75
1.5
total wear (g)

1.25 a) PTFE
1
0.75
0.5
average pressure
0.25
p (MPa)
0
0.76 1.53 2.3 3.07
b) PTFE + 60% bronze
Fig. 18. Wear after sliding in water Fig. 19. Wear particles

20 p=4.61MPa
20 p=0.76MPa
T1 T1
T2 T2

temperature ( C)
T3 T3
temperature ( C)

15
15

10
10
sliding distance[m] sliding distance[m]

5
5
0 500 1000 1500 0 500 1000 1500

a) b) v=2.51 m/s

20 p=076MPa 20
T1
T2
temperature ( C)
temperature ( C)

T3 15
15
p=1.53MPa
T1
10 10 T2
sliding distance [m] T3
sliding distance[m]
5 5
0 500 1000 1500 0 500 1000 1500

c) v=0.6 m/s
Fig. 20. Temperature evolution within the composite tribolayer after 1500m of sliding in water; a) Position of
the thermal transducers ∆h1 = 0.87; ∆h2 = 1.23; ∆h3 = 1.64 [ mm ] ; water temperature θ water = 11.0 ± 0.5 o C .

4. CONCLUSIONS The initial volume concentration of superficial

layer (after cutting process) was between 10...18%
High resolution scanning may be an investigation PTFE, but after sliding in water, PTFE is lost by
method for all composites that have constituents non- transfer and wear, so it remained in a range of 3...12%
miscible and with distinct colours. As PTFE has low (volume concentration) after 10500m. Locally, as
chemical reactivity this method may be applied for presented by figure 12, the concentration may be
studying PTFE composites and other composites with higher than the average. It is possible to give a
distinctly coloured constituents. general tendency for the surface concentration but
this result is a statistical one. Difference in local
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FASCICLE VIII, 2006 (XII), ISSN 1221-4590
TRIBOLOGY

concentration may be the result of the mixing the results are good. When using water and bronze +
technology for the two constituents of the composite. PTFE composite, it is better to have a higher speed in
For a composite having the matrix of harder order to form a partial or complete water film.
constituent (bronze, for instance) and the adding
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