High speed sliding behavior of polymer coatings

WHY

Nowadays polymer based coatings are applied in all walks of life, due to their excellent corrosion resistance, low friction and cost, good surface finish, molding ability and low density. However, one of the main issue of these coatings is their relatively poor performance in terms of wear. Especially, when sliding under high speeds, frictional heating can lead to a softening of the coating and accelerate the wearing-off process. Evaluating the high speed sliding performance of polymer coatings is a key issue in many applications.     

HOW

A Basalt-S2 was used to measure the friction of various polymer coatings, under high speed sliding conditions. The coefficient of friction is continuously monitored and recorded. The wear damage was quantified by 3D confocal microscopy, the wear mechanisms identified by optical microscopy.

 

 

 

RESULT

• The high speed performance of different polymer coatings can be measured by the Basalt-S2.
• A ranking of different coatings is possible.
• The wearing-off of the coating leads to a fluctuation of the coefficient of friction.
• A 3D representation of the coefficient of friction (triboscopy) reveals differences in homogenity and stability of the coatings.