Selected aspects of the methodology of tribological investigations of polymer materials

The paper presents selected problems relating to carrying out experimental investigations aimed at determining the tribological properties of polymer materials mating with metal or polymer elements in different friction conditions in sliding joints. The types of tribological investigations and the most commonly adopted types of sliding pair contact are presented. The possible space of tribological investigations is described and the criteria for the choice of key input and output quantities for tribological investigations of sliding pairs incorporating a polymer material are given. The benefits stemming from experiment design are demonstrated and the rotatable designʹs and the simplex designʹs advantages and range of application in tribological investigations are presented.