Studies of wear resistance and antifriction properties of metal-polymer pairs operating in a sea water simulator

Introduction. Sea water is an aggressive environment that causes corrosion, erosion, and cavitation when moving at high speeds of steel, cast iron, bronze, or babbit parts that work satisfactorily only with lubrication. In this case, oil stains are often released into the water, which leads to pollution of the water basin. Materials and methods. To study the wear and friction coefficient, the following materials were chosen: pure polyamide P-610 and antifriction materials based on it Maslyanit D and Maslyanit 12. The following metals were used as the material of the counterbody: stainless steel Cr18Ni9Ti, bronze (9 % Al; 2 % Mn), and titanium alloy VT-3. Results and discussion. It is established that the materials of the “maslyanit” group have significantly better wear resistance and antifriction properties than pure polyamide P-610. It is shown that the reason for such properties of Maslyanit D and Maslyanit 12 is the presence of solid and grease lubricants in its compositions, which simultaneously also play the role of a plasticizer. Finely dispersed metal fillers favorably affect the heat rejection from the friction zone and the growth of the crystalline phase of the polymer. A positive effect of iron minium on the friction of Maslyanit 12, which causes the generation of a protective anti-friction film on the working surfaces of the friction pair, is revealed. A decrease in wear and friction coefficient is found as the purity class of the metal surface increased. The predominantly fatigue mechanism of wear of polymeric materials during friction in a sea water simulator is confirmed. The results of testing Maslyanite 12 in a real marine environment confirmed the positive characteristics of Maslyanit 12.