• Advances in materials Research
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.193-203
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• 2016

Compared to metal-to-metal tribology, polymer tribology presents further complexity as it is more prone to be influenced by operating conditions. Over the past two decades, progress in the field of wear of polymers has led to the establishment of more refined wear mechanisms. The current paper establishes the link between different load parameters and the wear rate of polymers, based on experimental investigations. A pin-on-plate reciprocating tribometer was used to examine the wear behaviour of polyamide sliding against a steel counterface, under constant and fluctuating loads, in dry conditions. In addition, the influence of controlled imperfections in the polymer surface upon its wear rate were examined, under cyclic and steady loading, in order to better understand surface fatigue wear of polymers. The imposed imperfections consisted of vertical artificial deep crack (slit) perpendicular or parallel to the direction of sliding. The study concludes with the followings findings; in general, wear of polymers shows a significant tendency to the type of applied load. Under cyclic loads, polymers show an increase in wear rate compared to those tested under static loads. Such increase was found to increase with the increase in cyclic load frequency. It is also demonstrated that surface cracks results in higher wear rates, particularly under cyclic loads.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.212-215
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• 2023

Diaphragm compressors play a crucial role in safely compressing large volumes of high-purity hydrogen gas without contamination or leakage, thereby ensuring quality and reliability. Diaphragm compressors use a thin, flat, triple-layered diaphragm plate that is subjected to repetitive piston pressure for compression. They are usually made of metallic materials such as stainless steel or Inconel owing to their high-pressure resistance. However, since they are consumable components, they fail due to fatigue from repetitive pressure and vibration stress. This study aims to evaluate the scratch characteristics of diaphragms in operational environments by conducting tests on three different samples: Inconel 718, AISI 301, and Teflon-coated AISI 301. The Inconel 718 sample underwent a polishing process, the AISI 301 sample used raw material, and the Teflon coating was applied to the AISI 301 substrate at a thickness of 50 ㎛. To assess the scratch resistance, reciprocating motion friction tests were performed using a tribometer, utilizing 220 and 2000 grit sandpapers as the counter materials. The results of the friction tests suggested that the Teflon-coated sample exhibited the lowest initial friction coefficient and consistently maintained the lowest average friction coefficient (0.13 and 0.11 with 220 and 2000 grit, respectively) throughout the test. Moreover, the Teflon-coated diaphragm showed minimal wear patterns, indicating superior scratch resistance than the Inconel 718 and AISI 301 samples. These findings suggest that Teflon coatings may offer an effective solution for enhancing scratch resistance in diaphragms, thereby improving compressor performance in high-pressure hydrogen applications.