Wear and friction of aramid fibre and PTFE filled composites

✍ Scribed by Anne Bolvari; Sherry Glenn; Rob Janssen; Chris Ellis

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 361 KB
• Volume: 1997
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1350-4789
• DOI: 10.1016/s1350-4789(00)89141-2

✦ Synopsis

The most widespread reinforcements and lubricants used for wear applications include polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), silicone, glass fibre, carbon fibre and aramid fibre. Of these, PTFE and aramid fibre play a key role in the production and performance of a huge variety of seal components. This article describes work undertaken at LNP Engineering Plastics to optimise the aramid fibre loadings in systems with and without PTFE. Mechanical properties, tribological performance and cost were all considered, and in addition the transfer film formed when these composites are wearing was examined.

Aramid fibre provides the most lubricity of reinforcing fibres when added to thermoplastics. Increases in thermal and mechanical properties are achieved while the wear rate decreases significantly. This reduction in composite wear is accompanied by a reduction in counterpart wear, especially for softer metal counterfaces. Aramid fibre composites are hence widely used throughout industry, and in many applications with PTFE added, to achieve superior wear and lower fricuon behaviour.