An Analysis of the Tribological and Thermal Performance of PVDF Gears in Correlation with Wear Mechanisms and Failure Modes Under Different Load Conditions
Muratović E. Muminović A.J. Gierz Ł. Smailov I. Sydor M. Delić M.
July 2025Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Coatings
2025#15Issue 7
With engineering plastics increasingly replacing traditional materials in various drive and control gear systems across numerous industrial sectors, material selection for any gearwheel critically impacts its mechanical and thermal properties. This paper investigates the engagement of steel and Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) gear pairs tested under several load conditions to determine polymer gears’ characteristic service life and failure modes. Furthermore, recognizing that the application of polymer gears is limited by insufficient data on their temperature-dependent mechanical properties, this study establishes a correlation between the tribological contact, meshing temperatures, and wear coefficients of PVDF gears. The results demonstrate that the flank surface wear of the PVDF gears is directly proportional to the temperature and load level of the tested gears. Several distinct load-induced failure modes have been detected and categorized into three groups: abrasive wear resulting from the hardness disparity between the engaging surfaces, thermal failure caused by heat accumulation at higher load levels, and tooth fracture occurring due to stiffness changes induced by the compromised tooth cross-section after numerous operating cycles at a specific wear rate.
abrasive wear , failure modes , lifespan , lifetime , meshing temperature , thermal failure , tooth fracture , tribological contact , wear coefficients
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Department of Mechanical Design, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Institute of Machine Design, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Poznań University of Technology, Poznań, 60-965, Poland
Institute of Energy and Mechanical Engineering Named After A. Burkitbayev, Kazakh National Research Technical University, Satbayev Str., 22, Almaty, 050013, Kazakhstan
Department of Woodworking and Fundamentals of Machine Design, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, 60-637, Poland
Institute of Safety and Quality Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Management, Poznań University of Technology, Poznań, 60-965, Poland
Department of Mechanical Design
Institute of Machine Design
Institute of Energy and Mechanical Engineering Named After A. Burkitbayev
Department of Woodworking and Fundamentals of Machine Design
Institute of Safety and Quality Engineering
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