Interaction between High Speed Nylon Fiber and Unlubricated Ceramic Textile Guides

Abstract

The friction and wear behavior of alumina and titania textile guides in contact with high speed, dry nylon filaments has been studied using a novel, on-line, friction measuring device. The titania guides were worn very quickly to produce smooth grooves, which resulted in a large increase in fiber-guide friction. The alumina guides showed no appreciable wear during the short 1 hour tests, but a large amount of polymer deposit was produced. The morphology of the deposit was determined by the alumina guide topography. The smoother guides were smeared with polymer over the contact region. This adhesive wear process again resulted in a smoothing of the guide surface and a large rise in friction. By contrast, the rougher guides produced small particles of polymer debris by an abrasive wear process. These particles collected in a “tail region” beyond the fiber exit point. Because this did not affect the guide surface in the contact region, friction remained fairly constant during the test, but at the expense of some damage to the surfaces of the filaments. From a friction viewpoint, and if the filament damage is acceptable, this is the preferred guide surface for such an application.