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In recent years the field of polymer tribology experienced a tremendous development
leading to an increased demand for highly sophisticated in-situ measurement methods.
Therefore, advanced measurement techniques were developed and established
in this study. Innovative approaches based on dynamic thermocouple, resistive electrical
conductivity, and confocal distance measurement methods were developed in
order to in-situ characterize both the temperature at sliding interfaces and real contact
area, and furthermore the thickness of transfer films. Although dynamic thermocouple
and real contact area measurement techniques were already used in similar
applications for metallic sliding pairs, comprehensive modifications were necessary to
meet the specific demands and characteristics of polymers and composites since
they have significantly different thermal conductivities and contact kinematics. By using
tribologically optimized PEEK compounds as reference a new measurement and
calculation model for the dynamic thermocouple method was set up. This method
allows the determination of hot spot temperatures for PEEK compounds, and it was
found that they can reach up to 1000 °C in case of short carbon fibers present in the
polymer. With regard to the non-isotropic characteristics of the polymer compound,
the contact situation between short carbon fibers and steel counterbody could be
successfully monitored by applying a resistive measurement method for the real contact
area determination. Temperature compensation approaches were investigated
for the transfer film layer thickness determination, resulting in in-situ measurements
with a resolution of ~0.1 μm. In addition to a successful implementation of the measurement
systems, failure mechanism processes were clarified for the PEEK compound
used. For the first time in polymer tribology the behavior of the most interesting
system parameters could be monitored simultaneously under increasing load
conditions. It showed an increasing friction coefficient, wear rate, transfer film layer
thickness, and specimen overall temperature when frictional energy exceeded the
thermal transport capabilities of the specimen. In contrast, the real contact area between
short carbon fibers and steel decreased due to the separation effect caused by
the transfer film layer. Since the sliding contact was more and more matrix dominated,
the hot spot temperatures on the fibers dropped, too. The results of this failure
mechanism investigation already demonstrate the opportunities which the new
measurement techniques provide for a deeper understanding of tribological processes,
enabling improvements in material composition and application design.