This paper reviews some of the recent progress which has been made in the area of the sliding wear of polymers. Wear mechanisms are classified under three broad approaches which reflect primarily the way this subject has been historically studied. It is demonstrated here that the wear of polymers is influenced by the contact conditions, the bulk mechanical properties of the polymer and the properties of the ‘third body’, which generally appears in the form of transfer film or degraded polymer particles between two sliding surfaces. Further, this paper establishes a link between the different contact and material parameters and shows how they are important in elucidating the generic wear mechanisms for polymers. The effects of environment and lubrication upon polymer wear are briefly explained in terms of the chemical interactions between the liquid phase and the polymer. The capabilities and limitations of current predictive wear models for polymeric contacts are also highlighted.
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