Friction and Lubrication of Synthetic Fibers

Abstract

The frictional properties of a two-component model system comprising a volatile lubricant, a polyoxyethylene fatty acid, and a nonvolatile antistat, a phosphate ester of polyoxyethylene aryl phenol, have been studied over the entire concentration range. These data in the speed range from 10-4 to 50 m/min for high-tenacity polyester, polypropylene, and acrylic fibers exhibit a family of curves that starts to diverge in the semiboundary region with the lowest friction for the low-viscosity component and the highest friction for the high-viscosity component. Thus, the consistent pattern of the curves observed for all fiber materials, including those covered in Part II, must be attributed to the lubricant rather than to the fiber material.