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Structural changes in polytetrafluoroethylene molecular chains upon sliding against steel

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Abstract

In this work, the influence of dry sliding between a steel counterpart ball and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) plate sample on the transformation of PTFE molecular structure is investigated. With X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy, the crystallinity of PTFE wear debris is revealed to be higher than that of the original PTFE sample due to shear-induced ordering during sliding. The different morphologies of the PTFE transfer film from the original PTFE, and the wear debris observed with SEM suggests that some properties have been changed in the transfer film. According to FT-IR analysis, part of the PTFE chains in the wear debris and transfer film has a conformational change into a planar-zigzag conformation.

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Acknowledgements

This research was carried out under the project number M21.7.11422 in the framework of the research program of the Materials innovation institute M2i, Delft, the Netherlands. Financial support from M2i is acknowledged.

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  1. Materials Innovation Institute M2i, Department of Applied Physics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands

    J. T. Shen, Y. T. Pei & J. Th. M. De Hosson

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  1. J. T. Shen
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  2. Y. T. Pei
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  3. J. Th. M. De Hosson
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Correspondence to Y. T. Pei.

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Shen, J.T., Pei, Y.T. & De Hosson, J.T.M. Structural changes in polytetrafluoroethylene molecular chains upon sliding against steel. J Mater Sci 49, 1484–1493 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-013-7829-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-013-7829-0

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