Investigation of Tribocracking Processes during the Frictional Interaction of Metal-Polymer Friction Pairs

Исследование процессов трибокрекинга при фрикционном взаимодействии металлополимерных пар трения

Abstract

This article presents a developmental design of a device for studying tribocracking processes in metal-polymer friction pairs and proposes a corresponding research method. The study found that an increase in surface-volume temperature enhances the formation of endothermic reaction products from the polymer lining’s upper layer, raising the equilibrium constant and releasing heat. According to Van 't Hoff’s principle, elastic-plastic deformation occurs in the microprotrusions of the metal surface. Conversely, lowering the surface temperature intensifies exothermic reactions with ion dissociation in the polymer layer. Pulsed spe-cific loads on microprotrusion contact patches reduce the release of gaseous products, including unsaturated hydrocarbons that react with hydrogen, and these loads depend directly on the local dynamic coefficient of mutual overlap. Operating parameters of the tribocracking phenomenon were obtained using the test device. The proposed method and device allow prediction of energy load, polymer and metal weight losses, and gas mixture composition. Additionally, they enhance functionality, improving the informativeness of tribologi-cal studies and reliability of results, enabling rational selection of existing materials for friction pair com-ponents and facilitating the development of new materials. Overall, the device and method provide a sys-tematic approach to analyzing friction-induced tribocracking, linking mechanical and chemical interactions in metal-polymer pairs under varying thermal and load conditions.