Live load definition

In practice there is a continuous range of coating hardnesses varying from very soft to very hard, and the hardness is determined not only by the binder but by the concentrations of molybdenum disulphide and other solid components. The definition of hardness is also relative to the service contact loads. A coating of intermediate hardness may behave like a hard film under low contact pressures or like a soft film under high contact pressures. As a result, it is very difficult to compare the quoted load-carrying capacity and wear lives of different films tested under different conditions by different research groups. 

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