Friction and wear studies of some PEEK materials
Keywords:
PEEK, carbon fiber, friction, wearAbstract
The friction and wear behavior of several types of PEEK polymers and composites were studied. The influence of carbon fiber, lubricant and thermally conductive fillers were evaluated, as well as the effects of contact load and temperature. The tests were done using a reciprocating ball-on-disc set-up. The materials were tested under the load of 5 N and 15 N, at room temperature, 80°C, 120°C and 150°C. The difference between the materials was substantial, with a friction coefficient varying between 0.03 and 0.3 for the different materials at 120°C. PEEK with carbon fiber filler showed an improvement in both friction and wear compared to unfilled PEEK. When adding lubricant, PTFE, to the composite the friction and wear were improved even more. PEEK with thermally conductive filler on the other hand had both highest friction and wear. Increasing the temperature slightly decreased both friction and wear for most of the PEEK materials. At 150°C, only the composite with PTFE lubricant had a low friction and wear.
