Effect of Magnetic Field on the Friction and Wear of Polyamide Sliding against Steel

The present work discusses the friction and wear of polyamide sliding against steel in the presence of magnetic field. Tests were carried out at dry and oil lubricated steel surfaces. Paraffin and vegetable oils such as almond, castor, corn, glycerine, jasmine, olive and sun flower oils were used as lubricants. The friction coefficient and wear were investigated using pin on disc wear tester. Based on the experimental results, it was found that application of magnetic field on the contact area affected both friction coefficient and wear of polyamide sliding against steel at dry and oil lubricated conditions. Magnetic field decreased friction coefficient. Lubricating the sliding surface by paraffin oil as well as almond, castor, corn, glycerine, jasmine, olive and sun flower oils significantly decreased friction coefficient. Generally, friction coefficient increased with increasing applied load. Dry sliding of polyamide against steel surface showed increased wear with increasing load. The lowest wear values at no magnetic field were displayed by jasmine oil followed by sun flower, almond, olive, castor, corn, glycerine and paraffin oils. Under the application of magnetic field, the lowest wear values were displayed by sun flower oil followed by jasmine, castor, glycerine, olive, paraffin, almond and corn oils. It can be concluded that friction and wear decrease observed at dry sliding can be explained on the basis that presence of magnetic field around the contact area decreased the adherence and transfer of polyamide into the steel surface. For oil lubricated sliding, the polar molecules of the tested lubricating oils were much affected by the magnetic field, where they oriented themselves to the polar end directed towards the sliding surface making a close packed multi-molecular layered surface film that could protect the sliding surfaces from excessive wear.