INFLUENCE OF SURFACE POLISHING ON THE FRICTION BEHAVIORS OF NBR.

An experimental study on the tribology behavior and mechanism of NBR-Steel pair has been carried out. Abrasive paper was used to polish the NBR surface. The influences of surface topography on the friction coefficient were investigated based on the block-on-ring tribometer. Results show that polishing with abrasive paper is an effective method to reduce the friction coefficient of NBR on steel. Superlubricity was also found in the test. A new method to explain the superlubricity based on the contact angle and surface molecular structure was put forward in this work. Abrasive paper polishing changes the surface asperities, so affects the contact angle, so as to influence the boundary limiting shearing strength, and then causes the superlubricity. During the friction process the microstructure obviously changed, along with mechanical breaking of the molecular chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]