Friction and Wear of Carbon Fibre Filled Polymer Composites at Room and Low Temperatures

✍ Scribed by G. Theiler; W. Hübner; Th. Gradt; P. Klein

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 670 KB
• Volume: 35
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0933-5137
• DOI: 10.1002/mawe.200400827

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

In the cryogenic temperature range common lubricants solidify and therefore, they cannot be applied. Thus, for tribosystems in low temperature environment technical solutions based on good dry lubricating properties of the materials themselves must be found. In this concern polymers are of great interest, because they show comparatively high mechanical strength at low density, and they often possess favourable friction and wear properties at low temperatures.

This work presents investigations on the tribological behaviour of carbon fibre (CF) filled PTFE and PEEK composites in a cryogenic environment (liquid nitrogen; T = −196 °C). In general, these materials clearly exhibit lower friction and wear properties at low temperatures than at room temperature, which can be explained mainly by the temperature dependence of the mechanical strength. With increasing amount of carbon fibres in both composites, friction and wear increase. The optimal composition was found to be at 5 wt.% CF for the friction and 15 wt.% CF for the wear values. At low temperatures, the percentage of carbon fibres in PTFE and PEEK composites has not such an important influence as it has at room temperature.