Analysis of wear mechanism in TPU-steel contact pair by means of long stroke tribometer tests

A complete wear characterisation of a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) sliding against steel is presented. Wear tests were performed using a long stroke tribometer under sliding reciprocating movement and dry conditions. The dependence of some of the most significant parameters was studied. Before and after wear tests, complementary observations, analyses and measurements were also performed on both contacting materials. These various characterisations involved weight loss of TPU, physico-chemical and thermo- mechanical analyses of TPU, included topographical measurements and morphological observations of worn surfaces of contacting pairs and calculations of the temperature rise generated by friction

Wear dynamics of a TPU/steel contact under reciprocal sliding

International audienceThe tribological behavior of a thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) sliding against a non-polished steel counterface was studied as a function of load, velocity and temperature under dry conditions. Thermomechanical and chemical analyses were carried out on the TPU using DSC, FTIR and DMTA devices prior to the sliding tests. Contact changes were followed using a speed camera and an acoustic emission device. A simple thermal numerical simulation, to calculate temperature rise generated by friction, completes these analyses. To characterize wear performances, a wear rate was determined by considering the linear dependence between the wear volume and the product of the normal load by the travel distance (Archard model). Finally, wear mechanisms of TPU involve both abrasion scratches and adhesion patterns (Schallamach ridges). To conclude, a wear process description using the third body approach was proposed to gather the whole tribological results