Online Wear Monitoring of Polymer Matrix Composites

Abstract:

Polymer matrix composites are widely used as bearing materials for heavy load applications. Still fundamental knowledge about the wear mechanisms of these materials and the evolution in time of these mechanisms is lacking. Currently these mechanisms are only analyzed by post mortem analysis. The Laboratory Soete, based on the well-known pin-on-disc test rig, has developed a new test-setup. Instead of the standard composite specimen and steel disc, a rotating composite disc and steel pin is used to be able to have a visible composite wear track. Standard wear and friction measurements will be further combined with vibration measurements. The vibration measurements give valuable information about the pin-disc contact. The combination of all these measurements should yield valuable information on the active wear mechanisms, the occurrence of fiber and matrix fracture, fiber pull out, generated frictional heat, formation mechanisms of wear particles, and the interaction between all these effects.