ABSTRACT
The present work discusses the friction coefficient displayed by clothes sliding against car seat covers. The frictional performance of two groups of covers, the first was contained five different types of synthetic leather and the second contained nine different types of synthetic textiles, was measured. Measurement of friction coefficient is, therefore, of critical importance in assessing the proper friction properties of car seat covers and their suitability to be used in application to enhance the safety and stability of the driver.
Based on the experimental results, it can be concluded that, synthetic leather displayed relatively higher friction coefficient than synthetic textiles when sliding against dry polyester clothes, where the highest friction value exceeded 0.6. Generally, friction coefficient slightly decreased with increasing load. At water wetted sliding, significant drop in friction coefficient was observed for synthetic leather specimens. Synthetic textiles showed relatively higher friction than synthetic leather. For the sliding of dry cotton clothes, significant friction increase for synthetic leather was observed, where values of friction could reach 0.6. Synthetic textiles displayed relatively lower friction. In the presence of water film covering the sliding surfaces remarkable friction increase was observed for the test specimens. Textiles test specimens showed friction values up to 0.85.
In addition to that, friction coefficient displayed by the sliding of dry (50 % polyester + 50 % cotton) clothes displayed relatively higher values than that presented by 100 % polyester and 100 % cotton. The majority of the test specimens showed acceptable friction values. At water wetted surfaces slight friction decrease was observed. That behaviour recommended those materials to be used as car sear covers in humid environment. Besides, wool clothes displayed the highest friction coefficient when sliding against synthetic leather, (0.88). Textiles test specimens displayed relatively lower friction than synthetic leather, (0.58). Generally, wool clothes experienced the highest friction values among the tested clothes at dry sliding. In the presence of water film, friction coefficient slightly decreased.