HUANG Huan, ZHENG Jing*, QIAN Linmao

(Tribology Research Institute, Key Laboratory for Advanced Technology of Materials of Ministry of Education, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China)

Abstract: By using a reciprocating sliding wear test machine, friction and wear behaviors of human tooth enamel opposite to titanium alloy have been investigated in citric acid solution (pH=3.2). The results showed that human tooth enamel exhibited different tribological behaviors in two different media, i.e. citric acid solution and artificial saliva. Due to the enamel surface softening and demineralization caused by acid-attack, the friction coefficient was lower and fluctuated more significantly in citric acid solution than in artificial saliva. The worn surface was characterized mainly by adhesive delamination. Wear volume almost increased linearly with the number of cycles in citric acid solution, which was bigger than that in artificial saliva.

Key words: human tooth enamel; citric acid; erosion; friction and wear

E-mail: zhengj168@163.com 

Tribology, Vol. 31, Issue 2, 2011, 104~109