AbstractThe frictional coefficients of three glassy polymers (polystyrene, polycarbonate, and polymethylmethacrylate) and three crystalline polymers (high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene and polypropylene) on a highly polished steel surface were measured at high temperatures, high pressures, and high speeds, all comparable to actual processing conditions. The frictional behavior of these polymers was found to depend on temperature, pressure‐and speed in a very complicated manner. There appears to exist inter‐relationships among the temperature, pressure and speed dependences of the frictional coefficients. The frictional coefficients of ductile, crystalline polymers as a function of temperature appear to undergo two distinct transitions: one associated with yielding and the other associated with melting. The frictional coefficients of glassy polymers go through only one transition, associated with the glass transition. The friction‐generated heat at high pressures and high speeds can increase the sliding interface temperature of a polymer to values much greater than the metal surface temperature, and thus the polymer can start to melt (or plasticate) at metal surface temperatures appreciably below its thermodynamic melting (or glass transition) temper