Influence of Different Parameters on the Specific Wear Rate of PTFE Composites in the Steam Environment

Carbon filled PTFE material has been used in various engineering applications due to its properties of self-lubrication and minimal porosity. In Paper Industry carbon filled PTFE composite is used as a mechanical face seal to prevent the leakage of the steam. During the sealing application, the material is subjected to the wear hence, it is necessary to determine its wear rate to compute the life of the material when subjected to different loading conditions. Researchers have studied the tribological characteristics of carbon filled PTFE composites in dry sliding conditions as well as in a humid environment. However, wear behaviour of PTFE composite material in a steam environment is yet to be explored. In present study, the research is focused on the variation of specific wear rate of two grades of Carbon filled PTFE composites in a steam environment with the change in contact pressure and sliding velocity. In order to conduct the experiment in a steam environment, a pin on disc tribometer with a steam enclosure is designed and fabricated. The two grades used in this study are 25% Carbon filled PTFE and 35% Carbon filled PTFE. It was observed that the loss due to wear for both the materials increases with the rise in contact pressure. For 35% carbon filled PTFE, the specific wear rate decreases with the increase in sliding velocity whereas it increases with increase in sliding velocity for 25% carbon filled PTFE.