| Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a polymer that has been widely exploited commercially as a result of its low friction, 'non-stick' properties. The polymer has found usage as 'non-stick,' chemically resistant coatings for bearings, valves, rollers and pipe linings with applications in industries ranging from food and chemical processing to construction, automotive and aerospace. The major drawback of PTFE in low friction applications involves its excessive wear rate. For decades, scientists and engineers have sought to improve the polymer's wear resistance while maintaining its low sliding friction by reinforcing the polymer matrix with a host of filler materials ranging from fibril to particulate.;In this study, a different approach is taken in which the atomic scale phenomena between two crystalline PTFE surfaces in sliding contact are examined. The goal is to obtain atomic-level insights into PTFE's low friction and high wear rate to aid in the designing of effective polymer based tribological composites for extreme condition applications. To accomplish this, several tribological conditions were varied. These included sliding direction of the two polymer surfaces with respect to their chain alignment, sliding velocity, degree of crystalline phase rigidity, interfacial contact pressure, sample temperature and the presence of fluorocarbon fluids between the two crystalline PTFE surfaces.;From these studies, it was found that crystalline PTFE-PTFE sliding demonstrates friction anisotropy. Low friction and molecular wear was observed when sliding in the direction of the chain alignment with high friction and wear behavior dominating when sliding in a direction perpendicular to the chain alignment. For the range of cross-link density (average linear density of 6.2 to 11.1 A) and sliding rate (5 m/s to 20 m/s) explored, a significant change in friction behavior or wear mechanisms was not observed. Under conditions of increased normal load or low temperature however, the frictional force increased linearly. Additionally, the inclusion of fluorocarbon molecular fluids at the sliding interface between the two crystalline PTFE surfaces resulted in a significant decrease in both the friction and wear of the surfaces. |
