Comparative Evaluation of Tribological Effectiveness of Carbon- and Glass-Filled Polyamide Composites Using Submicromechanical Diagnostics of Surface Layers before and after Wear Tests during Dry Sliding Friction

Abstract

The tribomechanical properties of UPA-6130UV antifrictional polyamide composite filled with short carbon fibers have been studied in relation to metal-polymer bearings, gears, etc. The “pin-on-disc” setup was used to determine the macroscopic characteristics, and contact indentation and scratch testing, were employed to find submicroscopic parameters of the surface layer of this material before and after friction. It has been found that the tribological properties of studied carbon-filled polyamide are superior to those of glass-filled polyamide. With increase in the specific load, the mass wear of the UPA-6130UV composite increases less (from 0.0012 g at 10 MPa to 0.004 g at 40 MPa) and is significantly smaller than that of the PА6-L-SV30-1 glass-filled composite, the wear of which is 0.003 g at 10 MPa and 0.042 g at 40 MPa, respectively.