The purpose of this study is to determine whether chlorinated polymers such as polyvinylchloride (PVC) and polyvinylidenechloride (PVDC) degrade in a fretting interface. Polymer coated 52100 steel balls are fretted against a polished 1045 steel plate for 30 minutes in air and nitrogen at 25-30 percent and greater than 95 percent relative humidity. ESCA analysis is used to determine interface chemistry and help conclude that the color formation observed in the polymer coating is due to polymer degradation. Additional tests of thermally stabilized PVC on a steel plate supported this theory and aided in understanding the polymers performance in the interface. Experiments with the “pure” PVC on a glass plate showed that iron at the interface can initiate and catalyzes the polymer degradation. The effects of the different atmospheres, as well as the effect of humidity is also presented. / M.S.

A fundamental study was conducted to investigate the ability of thin polymeric coatings to prevent metallic contact and fretting corrosion in steel-on-steel systems. Ten polymer types were chosen for study: polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyimide (PI), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene (LOPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polysulfone (PSO) and polystyrene (PS). These polymers were applied as thin films to a steel disk which was in turn fretted by a normally-loaded steel sphere. The experimental investigation consisted of two phases. In the first phase, the lives of the ten polymer types were evaluated over a range of normal loads from 11.1 to 44.5 N. In the second phase, optical and electron microscopy were used to document the fretting process at the sphere-film interface as a function of time. / Master of Science

Thin polymeric coatings have been applied to metal surfaces to prevent and/or prolong the onset of fretting corrosion, but the properties that make a polymeric coating effective and the means by which a coating fails are unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of molecular weight, casting solvent, and amplitude of motion on the life of thin (25 ~m nominal) polystyrene coatings. Narrow molecular weight distribution polystyrene coatings ranging from <Mw>=19,400 to <Mw>=1,460,000 were applied to UNS G10450 steel disks with toluene and MEK as casting solvents. The coatings were fretted against UNS G52100 steel balls at 20 Hz under 22.3 N normal load. Amplitudes of motion ranged from 100 ~m to 500 ~m. Coating life and friction force were measured. Coatings of <Mw>=207,700 showed maximum life at all amplitudes. Friction remained constant for all tests, and increasing amplitude decreased life. Toluene-cast coatings had slightly shorter lives and more coating racks than MEK-cast coatings. Toluene-cast coatings below <Mw>=53,700 cracked severely during solvent removal and were not tested. / Master of Science

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects and interactions of lead, frequency, amplitude of slip, humidity, and film thickness of polyvinyl chloride on fretting corrosion. In particular, this study describes the effects of these parameters on the polymer film life and also on the wear of the metal surfaces after metallic contact had occurred. The two levels that were used for each parameter are: load, 15.6 and 31.1 N (3.5 and 7.0 lb); amplitude of slip, 165 and 330 μm (6.5 and 13 mils); frequency of slip, 20 and 40 Hz; humidity of air, 16.6 percent, and 58.4 percent relative humidity; and PVC film thickness, 20 and 37 μm (0.8 and 1.45 mils). The 52100 steel balls were loaded against a 1045 steel disk that was coated with PVC. This configuration was then subjected to a two-level, five-factor experiment comprised of the above levels of conditions. / M.S.