Adjustable tribological properties in metal / plastic sliding pairs by combining hybrid plastic-based materials on different length scales

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Alois K. Schlarb
• Subject Area: Polymeric and Biogenic Materials and Derived Composites ; Plastics Engineering ; Materials in Sintering Processes and Generative Manufacturing Processes
• Term: from 2019 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 428934631

Polymer materials and polymer-based composites have been used in tribological systems for decades. However, the fact that tribological properties are dependent on the load remains a key limitation for the use of such materials. A materials that performs well at low load conditions may perform poorly at higher loads and vice versa. Since the loads the occur during the use of technical systems typically vary over time, it is challenging to ensure reliability under all expected operating conditions. The aim of this study is to combine different tribologically modified materials into layered composites. By combining materials with different optimal operating points, the resulting composites should exhibit good tribological properties at several distinct operating points or across a wide range of operating conditions. Substrate layers with strongly different elastic moduli can provide additional degrees of freedom in the design of layered composites because they allow for an adjustment of the contact pressures of the individual components. By combining tribological experiments and numerical simulations, a thorough understanding of the mechanisms that determine the properties of multilayer composites can be obtained.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants