Friction and Wear Behavior of Aluminum and Composite Airplane Skins

Abstract

Friction and wear behavior was determined for small skin specimens under abrasive loading conditions typical of those occurring on the underside of a transport airplane during an emergency belly landing. A test apparatus consisting of a standard belt sander provided the sliding surface. Small test specimens constructed of aluminum, standard graphite-epoxy composite, aramid- epoxy composite, and toughened-resin composites were tested under a range of pressures, belt velocities, and belt-surface textures. The effects of these test variables on the wear rate and the coefficient of friction are discussed and comparisons are made between the composite materials and aluminum. The effect of fiber orientation in the composite materials on wear rate was also investigated. In addition, tests were performed in which thermocouples were imbedded into the various test specimens to obtain temperature-time histories during abrasion.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 1984
Accession Number
ADA138428

Entities

People

  • K. E. Jackson

Organizations

  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Airplanes
  • Aluminum Oxides
  • Composite Aircraft
  • Composite Materials
  • Epoxy Composites
  • Epoxy Resins
  • Failure Mode And Effect Analysis
  • Fibers
  • Graphite Epoxy Composites
  • Graphitic Materials
  • Load Cells
  • Materials
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Mechanical Properties
  • Orientation (Direction)
  • Tensile Strength

Fields of Study

  • Materials science

Readers

  • Reinforced Composite Materials
  • Thermal Physics or Thermal Science.
  • Tribology (the study of the boundary interaction between sliding surfaces, lubrication, wear and friction).