Chemical and physical aspects of wear processes in polymers

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.A series of homogeneous halogen containing polymers have been studied whilst sliding against mild steel and oxides present on mild steel. The degradation characteristics of P. V. C. and C1d P. V. C. have been correlated in terms of current mechano-chemical comminution theory and the process causing the wear of P. V. C., C1d P. V. C., P. T. F. E. and P. C. T. F. E. described in relation to the chemical and physical conditions at the sliding interface. In addition the potential importance of the chemical role of oxide free iron surfaces in wear processes has been demonstrated by interacting an analogue compound of P. T. F. E. (n-C5F12) with clean iron under ultra high vacuum conditions. The resulting fragmentation of the perfluorinated compound is discussed and a simplified degradation mechanism suggested