Polymer composites service wear

A large quantity of wear data for polymers and polymer composites is now available from laboratory tests. Except in special circumstances, much of the in-service wear data is incomplete and cannot readily be compared with laboratory data. This paper draws together some laboratory and selected in-service wear data in an attempt to relate the two. 

In practice, the choice of WI is based on the analysis of service, design, economic and other factors. An efficient means of improving wear resistance of the polyamide-steel 45 friction pair turns out to be inhibition of the thermally oxidative and destructive processes in the polymer surface layers to avoid the formation of corrosion-active oxide compounds. It is possible to break this unfavorable cycle by the introduction of antioxidants into the polymer composition, thus disabling macroradicals through the reactions of mechanochemical synthesis, polyamide alloying by functional additives forming separating layers or more thermally stable products, and so on [108]. Application of WI with this aim abates undesirable thermally oxidative processes in polyamide... 

Particulate reinforced polymer matrix composites are widely used in dentistry as esthetic restorative materials. Although the normally measured mechanical and physical properties of this class of materials approach the properties of dental amalgam (1) composite restorative materials exhibit limited durability in clinical service. Compared to amalgam restorations, composites undergo loss of material through wear processes and exhibit breakdown at the interfacial region between the restoration and tooth structure. 

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