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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

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Reducing Coefficient of Friction Between Metal and Rubber

Q. I have an application I'm researching, and essentially I'm trying to find the method (coating, mechanical polishing, etc.) that best reduces the coefficient of friction between a dynamic o-ring and the metal walls it operates in, as in a pistoning motion. Cost being a mild factor and temperature ranging from slightly warmer than room temp down to rare exposures of negative 40-70° C (i.e. liquid CO2).

Jeremy Wiggins
- Land O Lakes, Florida, USA
May 6, 2012

A. Hi Jeremy.

Probably the most common traditional coating is hard chrome plating. The chrome offers a lower coefficient of friction than steel, and the microcracks hold lubricant. An interesting demo I saw decades ago, but never forgot, involved a small cone-shaped hard-chrome plated item that the lecturer placed base down / point up on his desk and defied anyone to pick it up :-)

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
May 7, 2012

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