Characteristics and mechanism of abrasive wear for thermoplastic polymers

Abrasive wear characteristics of polyethylene, polystyrene, polymethylmethacrylate, nylon 1010 and polyvinyl chloride were investigated. The volume relative wear resistance coefficients of these thermoplastic polymers are 18%-35% (hardened and low temperature tempered steel 45 was used as a comparing material), and have a linear correlation with square roots of their cohesive energy densities. The coefficients of linear correlation is 0.949. Wear morphologies were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Main wear mechanism of the thermoplastic polymers includes brittle breaking for the hard and brittle polymers & plowing and fatiguing for the soft and tough ones.