AbstractScattered data exist in the literature on the chemical reactions which occur during mechanical contact. It is our contention that these reactions occur as a direct result of the high temperatures generated at the contact interface, due to the dissipation of mechanical energy. A theoretical analysis is used to identify and rank the various sources of heat generation during repetitive impact or sliding. New data, on both filled and unfilled polymers and elastomers, supported by data from the literature, are used to show that the resultant temperature rise causes reactions at the interface; the extents of these reactions depend on the polymer structure and the magnitude of the temperature rise. Several ways of reducing the magnitude of this temperature rise are discussed.
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