Knowing how sample insulation impacts contact temperature during tribological testing of polymeric materials facilitates planning the execution of such tests and gives a better insight into the expected results and the interpretation thereof. We conducted pin on disc tests using a polyacetal (POM) pin, a polyamide (PA66) disc, and Teflon (PTFE) insulation. Experimental work was performed on a tribometer in a laboratory and simulations on a numerical model on a computer. The results showed that the effect of insulation is greater under testing conditions that increase heat generation at the contact (higher normal force, higher sliding speed) and with thinner samples.
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