The Influence of Lubrication on Two-body Abrasive Wear of Sealing Elastomers Under Reciprocating Sliding Conditions

Elastomeric seals are prone to failure caused by abrasion during sliding against rough surfaces. In this research, the two-body abrasive wear of some selected sealing elastomers (nitrile rubber, hydrogenated nitrile rubber, acrylic rubber, and fluoro rubber) in dry and lubricated conditions has been studied. The influence of three different oils (synthetic ester, polyalphaolefin, and mineral oil) on the abrasive wear of the elastomers, at varying normal load and abrasive particle size, has been studied. The results show that, depending on the material, lubricant, abrasive size, and normal load, the abrasive wear of elastomers may increase or decrease in the presence of lubricants, and in most cases, the abrasive wear in the lubricated condition is higher than that in the dry condition. The influence of lubricant on the increase in abrasive wear is more significant during sliding against fine abrasives. Apart from the acrylic rubber, increase in the abrasive wear in presence of the synthetic ester is higher than those in presence of the mineral oil and polyalphaolefin.