Study on the friction in steel/polyamide ball on disk type contacts

The paper presents the experimental study of the friction in the case of steel/polyamide ball on disk type contacts by considering as testing parameters the temperature, the load and the rotational speed. The tests are performed, for two types of polyamides, on a tribometer which allows rotational motions at small and high speeds, with controlled normal loads and temperatures. The tests begin with a one hour running-in at 500 rpm, at ambient temperature. After the running-in process there are made tests, for two types of polyamides at 90°C and 120°C, at loads of 3 N, 5 N, 7 N and at rotational speeds of 5 rpm, 1500 rpm and 3000 rpm. The results are indicating the polyamides behaviour at high temperatures with different loadings, at small and high rotational speeds. The conclusions of the paper offer recommendations regarding the applications of the tested polyamide materials according to temperature, loading and rotational speeds, in the case of ball on disk type contacts. (paper)