Polymer and Elastomer Friction in the Thermal Control Regime

Abstract

It is proposed that as conditions are made more severe in a dry, sliding contact, a regime is eventually initiated in which friction is governed by heat flow. If is suggested that in any given configuration a maximum allowable sulfate temperature can be defined, two alternate closed-form results for friction can be derived. It is suggested that this regime of friction could be relevant to polymers and elastomers due to their low thermal conductivity. The models are compared quantitatively and quantitatively with results in the literature.