Friction and wear behavior of PTFE composites filled with rare earth compounds under oil‐lubricated conditions

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)‐based composites, filled with CeO₂, CeF₃, and La₂O₃ in volume contents of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30%, were prepared. Then, the friction and wear behavior of these PTFE composites sliding against GCr15 bearing steel under both dry and liquid paraffin‐lubricated conditions was evaluated using an MHK‐500 ring‐on‐block wear tester. Finally, the worn surfaces and the transfer films of these PTFE composites were investigated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an optical microscope. Experimental results showed that filling CeO₂, CeF₃, and La₂O₃ into PTFE can reduce the wear of the PTFE composites by 1–2 orders of magnitude. When the content of CeO₂ in PTFE is 15%, the friction and wear properties of the CeO₂‐filled PTFE composite are the best. Meanwhile, when the content of La₂O₃ in PTFE is between 15 and 20%, the PTFE composite filled with La₂O₃ exhibits excellent friction and wear‐reducing properties. However, the friction coefficient of the CeF₃‐filled PTFE composite increases but its wear decreases with increase in the content of CeF₃ from 5 to 30%. The friction and wear‐reducing properties of CeO₂‐, CeF₃‐, and La₂O₃‐filled PTFE composites can be greatly improved by lubrication with liquid paraffin, but the limit loads of the PTFE composites decrease with increase in the content of CeO₂, CeF₃, and La₂O₃ in PTFE (from 5 to 30%) under the same conditions. Investigations of worn surfaces show that the interaction between liquid paraffin and the CeO₂‐, CeF₃‐, and La₂O₃‐filled PTFE composites, especially the absorption of liquid paraffin into the microdefects of the PTFE composites, creates some cracks on the worn surfaces of the PTFE composites and that the creation and development of the cracks reduces the mechanical strength and the load‐supporting capacity of the PTFE composites. However, with increase of the content of CeO₂, CeF₃, and La₂O₃ in the PTFE, the microdefects in the PTFE composites also increase, which would lead to increase in the number of the cracks on the worn surfaces of the PTFE composites under load and, so, in turn, lead to the reduction of the limit loads of the CeO₂‐, CeF₃‐, and La₂O₃‐filled PTFE composites under lubrication with liquid paraffin. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 78: 797–805, 1999     

Friction and wear characteristics of metal sulfides and graphite‐filled PTFE composites under dry and oil‐lubricated conditions

Five kinds of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)‐based composites, pure PTFE, PTFE + 30(v)% MoS₂, PTFE + 30(v)% PbS, PTFE + 30(v)% CuS, and PTFE + 30(v)% graphite (GR) composites, were first prepared. Then the friction and wear properties of these PTFE composites, sliding against GCr15‐bearing steel under both dry and liquid paraffin‐lubricated conditions, were studied by using an MHK‐500 ring‐on‐block wear tester. Finally, the worn surfaces and the transfer films of the PTFE composites formed on the surface of GCr15 bearing steel were investigated by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an optical microscope, respectively. Experimental results show that filling with MoS₂, PbS, CuS, or graphite to PTFE can reduce the wear of the PTFE composites by two orders of magnitude compared to that of pure PTFE under dry friction conditions. However, the friction and wear‐reducing properties of these PTFE composites can be greatly improved by lubrication with liquid paraffin. Investigations of transfer films show that MoS₂, PbS, CuS, and graphite promote the transfer of the PTFE composites onto the surface of GCr15‐bearing steel under dry friction conditions, but the transfer of the PTFE composites onto the surface of GCr15‐bearing steel can be greatly reduced by lubrication with liquid paraffin. SEM examinations of worn surfaces show that with lubrication of liquid paraffin, the creation and development of the cracks occurred on the worn surfaces of the PTFE composites under load, which reduces the load‐supporting capacity of the PTFE composites. This would lead to the deterioration of the friction and wear properties of the PTFE composites under higher loads (>600N). © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 72: 751–761, 1999     

Friction and wear characteristics of fiber- and whisker-reinforced PTFE composites under oil lubricated conditions

Four kinds of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-based composites, such as pure PTFE, PTFE + 30(vol.)% carbon fiber, PTFE + 30(vol.)% glass fiber, and PTFE + 30(vol.)% K₂Ti₆O₁₃ whisker composite, were prepared. The friction and wear properties of these fiber- and whisker-reinforced PTFE composites sliding against GCr15-bearing steel (SAE52100 steel) under both dry and liquid paraffin lubricated conditions were studied by using an MHK-500 ring-block wear tester (Timken wear tester). Then the worn surfaces of these PTFE composites and the transfer films formed on the surface of GCr15-bearing steel were investigated by using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and an Optical Microscope, respectively. Experimental results show that the friction and wear properties of the PTFE composites reinforced with carbon fiber, glass fiber, and a K₂Ti₆O₁₃ whisker can be greatly improved by lubrication with liquid paraffin, and the friction coefficients of these PTFE composites can be decreased by one order of magnitude compared to those under dry friction conditions. Meanwhile, the wear of the fiber- and whisker-reinforced PTFE composites in liquid paraffin lubrication increases with the increase of load, but the friction coefficients of these PTFE composites first decrease with the increase of load, and then increase with the increase of load. The variations of friction coefficients with load for these PTFE composites in liquid paraffin lubrication can be described properly by the Stribeck's curve as given in this article. However, when the load increases to the load limits of the PTFE composites, their friction and wear increase sharply. SEM and optical microscope investigations show that the interactions between liquid paraffin and the PTFE composites, especially the absorption of liquid paraffin into the surface layers of the PTFE composites, create some obvious cracks on the worn surfaces of the PTFE composites. The creation and the development of the cracks reduce the load-carrying capacity of the PTFE composites, and therefore lead to the increase of the friction and wear of the PTFE composites under higher loads. Meanwhile, the transfer of the fiber- and whisker-reinforced PTFE composites onto the counterfaces can be greatly reduced by lubrication with liquid paraffin, but the transfer still takes place. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 69: 1393–1402, 1998     

Friction and wear characteristics of ceramic particle filled polytetrafluoroethylene composites under oil-lubricated conditions

Five kinds of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-based composites were prepared: PTFE, PTFE + 30 vol % SiC, PTFE + 30 vol % Si₃N₄, PTFE + 30 vol % BN, and PTFE + 30 vol % B₂O₃. The friction and wear properties of these ceramic particle filled PTFE composites sliding against GCr15 bearing steel under both dry and liquid paraffin lubricated conditions were studied by using an MHK-500 ring-block wear tester. The worn surfaces and the transfer films formed on the surface of the GCr15 bearing steel of these PTFE composites were investigated by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM)and an optical microscope, respectively. The experimental results show that the ceramic particles of SiC, Si₃N₄, BN, and B₂O₃ can greatly reduce the wear of the PTFE composites; the wear-reducing action of Si₃N₄ is the most effective, that of SiC is the next most effective, then the BN, and that of B₂O₃ is the worst. We found that B₂O₃ reduces the friction coefficient of the PTFE composite but SiC, Si₃N₄, and BN increase the friction coefficients of the PTFE composites. However, the friction and wear properties of the ceramic particle filled PTFE composites can be greatly improved by lubrication with liquid paraffin, and the friction coefficients of the PTFE composites can be decreased by 1 order of magnitude. Under lubrication of liquid paraffin the friction coefficients of these ceramic particle filled PTFE composites decrease with an increase of load, but the wear of the PTFE composites increases with a load increase. The variations of the friction coefficients with load for these ceramic particle filled PTFE composites under lubrication of liquid paraffin can be properly described by the relationship between the friction coefficient (μ) and the simplified Sommerfeld variable N/P as given here. The investigations of the frictional surfaces show that the ceramic particles SiC, Si₃N₄, BN, and B₂O₃ enhance the adhesion of the transfer films of the PTFE composites to the surface of GCr15 bearing steel, so they greatly reduce the wear of the PTFE composites. However, the transfer of the PTFE composites onto the surface of the GCr15 bearing steel can be greatly reduced by lubrication with liquid paraffin, but the transfer still takes place. Meanwhile, the interactions between the liquid paraffin and the PTFE composites, especially the absorption of liquid paraffin into the surface layers of the PTFE composites, create some cracks on the worn surfaces of the ceramic particle filled PTFE composites; the creation and development of these cracks reduces the load-supporting capacity of the PTFE composites. This leads to the deterioration of the friction and wear properties of the PTFE composites under higher loads in liquid paraffin lubrication. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 73: 2611–2619, 1999     

Friction and wear characteristics of copper and its compound-filled PTFE composites under oil-lubricated conditions

Four kinds of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-based composites, such as pure PTFE, PTFE + 30(v)%Cu, PTFE + 30(v)%Cu₂O, and PTFE + 30(v)%CuS composite, were prepared. Then the friction and wear properties of the PTFE composites filled with Cu, Cu₂O, or CuS sliding against GCr15-bearing steel under both dry and liquid paraffin-lubricated conditions were studied by using an MHK-500 ring-block wear tester. Finally, the worn surfaces and the transfer films of these PTFE composites formed on the surface of GCr15-bearing steel were investigated by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an optical microscope, respectively. Experimental results show that the antiwear properties of these PTFE composites can be greatly improved by filling Cu, Cu₂O, or CuS to PTFE, and the wear of these PTFE composites can be decreased by two orders of magnitude compared to that of pure PTFE under dry friction conditions. Meanwhile, CuS increases the friction coefficient of the PTFE composite, but Cu and Cu₂O reduce the friction coefficients of the PTFE composites. However, the friction and wear properties of Cu, Cu₂O, or CuS-filled PTFE composites can be greatly improved by lubrication with liquid paraffin. The friction coefficients of these PTFE composites can be decreased by one order of magnitude compared to those under dry friction conditions, while the wear of these PTFE composites can be decreased by one to two orders of magnitude. The PTFE + 30(v)%Cu composite exhibits excellent friction and wear-reducing properties under higher loads in liquid paraffin-lubricated conditions, so the PTFE + 30(v)%Cu composite is much more suitable for application under oil-lubricated conditions in practice. Optical microscope investigation of transfer films shows that Cu, Cu₂O, and CuS enhance the adhesion of the transfer films to the surface of GCr15-bearing steel, so they greatly reduce the wear of the PTFE composites. However, the transfer of the PTFE composites onto the surface of GCr15-bearing steel can be greatly reduced by lubrication with liquid paraffin, but the transfer still takes place. SEM examination of worn surfaces shows that the interaction between liquid paraffin and the PTFE composites, especially the absorption of liquid paraffin into the surface layers of the PTFE composites, creates some cracks on the worn surfaces of Cu₂O or CuS-filled PTFE composites, the creation and development of the cracks reduces the load-carrying capacity of the PTFE composites; this leads to the deterioration of the friction and wear properties of the PTFE composites under higher loads in liquid paraffin lubrication. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 70: 1455–1464, 1998     

不同介质中聚四氟乙烯复合材料的摩擦磨损性能

分别在碱液、水、油和干摩擦条件下考察了碳纤维和玻璃纤维填充聚四氟乙烯复合材料的摩擦磨损性能。利用SEM观察了不同介质中磨损面和对摩面的形貌,并探讨了其磨损机理。结果表明,不同介质中摩擦系数的大小关系是μ干>μ水或油>μ碱,磨损率是W水>W干>W碱或油。水、碱和油都不同程度地阻止了转移膜的形成。碱液和油具有很好的冷却与润滑作用,摩擦系数低,磨损小;然而水分子降低了填料和基体的界面粘接强度,造成犁削和磨粒磨损加重。     

Friction and wear properties of dumbbell‐shaped jute fiber‐reinforced friction materials

The surfaces of jute fibers (Corchorus capsularis L.) were processed to have different dumbbell‐shaped spacing (5 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, and 20 mm), and the physical properties of the modified surfaces of the jute fibers were evaluated in this study. The dumbbell‐shaped jute fiber (DJF)‐reinforced friction materials were prepared through compression mold. The friction and wear performance of the DJF were tested using a friction material tester at constant speed. The results showed that the dumbbell‐shaped spacing has less influence on the friction coefficients of friction materials. The friction coefficients of DJF have bigger fluctuation compared with that of straight fiber during the temperature‐increasing procedure. The wear rate of DJF with dumbbell‐shaped spacing of 15 mm was the lowest, except for that when the temperatures were about 200–250°C. Morphologies of wear surfaces of DJF were observed using scanning electron microscopy and the friction characteristics were analyzed. The results showed that reinforced with DJFs in the friction materials can reduce the specific wear rate and the variation in friction coefficient compared with that of straight jute fibers. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40748.     

Friction and wear properties of basalt fiber reinforced/solid lubricants filled polyimide composites under different sliding conditions

Short basalt fibers (BFs)‐reinforced polyimide (PI) composites filled with MoS₂ and graphite were fabricated by means of hot‐press molding technique. The tribological properties of the resulting composites sliding against GCr15 steel ring were investigated on a model ring‐on‐block test rig. The wear mechanisms were also comparatively discussed, based on scanning electron microscopic examination of the worn surface of the PI composites and the transfer film formed on the counterpart. Experimental results revealed that MoS₂ and graphite as fillers significantly improved the wear resistance of the BFs‐reinforced polyimide (BFs/PI) composites. For the best combination of friction coefficient and wear rate, the optimal volume content of MoS₂ and graphite in the composites appears to be 40 and 35%, respectively. It was also found that the tribological properties of the filled BFs/PI composites were closely related with the sliding conditions such as sliding speed and applied load. Research results show that the BF/PI composites exhibited better tribological properties under higher PV product. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

“三明治”C/C复合材料及其摩擦磨损性能

通过化学气相渗透法(CVI)制备出一种新型的"三明治"结构的C/C复合材料。其两侧是纯网胎结构的功能层,主要承担摩擦功能;中间为承担结构作用的结构层,与传统针刺毡结构一致。系统研究了材料的微观组织结构特征及其摩擦磨损性能。结果表明:"三明治"C/C复合材料各个区域的热解炭都为粗糙层结构;刹车性能较传统三维针刺结构C/C复合材料的摩擦性能稳定;在摩擦试验过程中,摩擦面能够形成一层连续均匀的薄膜,使材料在刹车过程中具有较稳定的摩擦系数并能够有效降低材料的磨损率。     

Friction and wear properties of graphene oxide/ultrahigh‐molecular‐weight polyethylene composites under the lubrication of deionized water and normal saline solution

Ultrahigh‐molecular‐weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and UHMWPE composites reinforced with graphene oxide (GO) were successfully fabricated through a new step of liquid‐phase ultrasonic dispersion, high‐speed ball‐mill mixing, and hot‐pressing molding technology. When the GO/UHMWPE composites were lubricated with deionized water (DW) and normal saline (NS) solution, their friction and wear properties were investigated through sliding against ZrO₂. The worn surface and wear volume losses of these composites were studied with scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and a Micro‐XAM 3D non‐contact surface profiler. The results show that the microhardness of the GO/UHMWPE composites was improved by 13.80% and the wear rates were decreased by 19.86 and 21.13%, whereas the depths of the scratches were decreased by 22.93 and 23.77% in DW and NS lubricating conditions, respectively. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 39640.     

Tribological behavior of short‐fiber‐reinforced polyimide composites under dry‐sliding and water‐lubricated conditions

Polyimide composites reinforced with short‐cut fibers such as carbon, glass, and quartz fibers were fabricated by the polymerization of monomer reactants process. The mechanical properties of the composites with different fiber contents were evaluated. The friction and wear properties of the polyimide and its composites were investigated under dry‐sliding and water‐lubricated conditions. The results indicated that the short‐carbon‐fiber‐reinforced polyimide composites had better tensile and flexural strengths and improved tribological properties in comparison with glass‐fiber‐ and quartz‐fiber‐reinforced polyimide composites. The incorporation of short carbon fibers into the polyimide contributed to decreases in the friction coefficient and wear rate under both dry and water‐lubricated conditions and especially under water lubrication because of the boundary lubrication effect of water. The polyimide and its composites were characterized by plastic deformation, microcracking, and spalling under both dry and water‐lubricated conditions, which were significantly abated under the water‐lubricated condition. The glass and quartz fibers were easily abraded and broken; the broken fibers transferred to the mating metal surface and increased the surface roughness of mating stainless steel, which led to the wear rate increasing for the glass‐fiber‐ and quartz‐fiber‐reinforced polyimide composites. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008     

Tribological performance of filled PTFE‐based friction material for ultrasonic motor under different temperature and vacuum degrees

In this work, a glass fiber reinforced polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)‐based friction material with good properties for ultrasonic motor was fabricated. The effects of temperature and vacuum degree on the tribological behavior of the PTFE‐based friction material were investigated; the evolutions of friction‐wear modes and mechanisms were also discussed as function of temperature and vacuum degree. The results show that the delamination and fatigue wear are predominant under the effects of repeated shearing and dynamic contact under atmospheric environment. While wear mechanisms change from adhesive to abrasive and fatigue wear as it is cooled from 30 to ?60 °C at vacuum environment. Under high vacuum, adhesive wear was prone to taking place at room temperature for high frictional heat which increased the wear rate and extended the running‐in period. Experiment shows that the highest no‐load speed, output power, and holding torque of ultrasonic motor at room temperature under atmospheric environment are 220 rpm, 9.9 W, and 1.21 N m, respectively. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134 , 45358.     

Study on wear and friction behavior of graphite flake‐filled PTFE composites

The wear rate and coefficient of friction for graphite flake (GF)‐filled polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composites were evaluated on a pin‐on‐disk wear tester under dry conditions. Scanning electron microscopy showed significant reduction in the abrasive wear of the composites. The wear rates of 5 and 10 wt % GF composites were reduced by more than 22 and 245 times, respectively, at sliding speed of 1 m/s. With increasing sliding distance from 1 to 8 km, the wear rate of pure PTFE decreased by 1.4 times whereas that of composites, it decreased up to three times. The significant decreased in wear rate and coefficient of friction might be attributed to the formation of a thin and tenacious transfer film on the counter‐surface. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Study on the tribological properties of modified polyurethane material for water‐lubricated stern bearing

Polyurethane (PU) has been studied as alternative bearing material for marine water‐lubricated stern tube due to its excellent wear resistance, remarkable mechanical properties and so on. In this study, nine types of PU samples which are composed of different additives were prepared and tested in order to investigate their tribological properties under various working conditions. A pin‐on‐disc tribo‐tester was used to conduct tests. Then comparison analyses were conducted from three aspects, including the friction coefficient, wear mass loss, and the wear surface topography. The analysis results showed that: (1) the different additives as well as the mass fraction of these additives lead to significant difference in terms of tribological properties of PU; (2) the lubricating grease, as one of additives, improved the wear resistance and friction performance effectively; (3) modified PU is eligible to work as matrix because of satisfied mechanical properties and specific internal morphology. It is believed that understandings in this study are beneficial to the improvement of the tribological properties of PU and also provide the real practical basis for the studies of polymer materials which applied on water‐lubricated marine stern tube bearing. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46305.     

Mechanical properties and sliding wear behavior of potassium titanate whiskers‐reinforced poly(ether ether ketone) composites under water‐lubricated condition

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) composites reinforced with potassium titanate whiskers (PTW) were compounded using a twin‐screw extruder followed by injection molding. The effects of PTW on the mechanical properties, crystallization performances and wear behaviors of PEEK under water lubrication have been investigated. It was denoted that the yield strength, Young's modulus, and microhardness of the composites increased with increasing whisker content, but the elongation at break and the impact strength showed decreasing trend. It was revealed that the inclusion of PTW could effectively reduce the friction coefficient and enhance the wear resistance of the PEEK. The DSC tests showed that the crystallinity of the composite slightly decreased with the addition of PTW, which might imply that the crystallinity of PEEK was not the dominant factor that influenced the wear properties of the composites. The enhancement on the wear resistance was attributed to the reinforced effect of PTW on PEEK. The wear mechanism changed from fatigue wear into mild abrasive wear when the PTW was added into PEEK. The lowest wear rate 9.3 × 10^?8 mm³/Nm was achieved at 10 wt % PTW content. However, excessive whiskers would cause severe abrasive wear to the composite. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

An investigation of the friction and wear behaviors of micrometer copper particle‐ and nanometer copper particle‐filled polyoxymethylene composites

Micrometer and nanometer copper particle‐filled polyoxymethylene composites (coded as POM‐micro Cu and POM‐nano Cu, respectively) were prepared by compression molding. The compression strength and tensile strength of the composites were evaluated with a DY35 universal materials tester. An RFT‐III reciprocating friction and wear tester was used to examine the tribological properties of the composites. The elemental compositions in the transfer films and the chemical states of the elements in the composite‐worn surfaces were analyzed with electron probe microanalysis and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, while the surface morphologies were observed with scanning electron microscopy. It was found that Cu( CH₂ O )_n was produced in sliding of a POM‐nano Cu pin against an AISI 1045 steel block and Cu₂O was produced in sliding of a POM‐micro Cu pin against the same counterface. POM‐micro Cu exhibited higher copper concentration in the transfer film compared with POM‐nano Cu, and the transfer film of the former was thick and patchy compared with that of the latter. It was also found that micrometer and nanometer copper particles as fillers in POM exhibit a distinctive size effect in modifying the wear mechanisms of the composites. In other words, the wear mechanism of POM‐micro Cu is mainly scuffing and adhesion, while that of POM‐nano Cu is mainly plastic deformation. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 2404–2410, 2000     

Influences of (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane on the tribological behaviors of basalt fiber/acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber composites under dry friction and water-lubricated conditions

The weak interaction between the basalt fiber (BF) and acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) weakens the BFs' effects on improving the tribological performances of the NBR composites. To solve this problem, (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) was introduced via mixing into the matrix or grafting on the BF surface, respectively. The characteristics, mechanical, and tribological properties of the composites were evaluated, and the effects of the APTES and its introduction methods on the tribological properties were the main focus. The APTES mixed in the rubber matrix decreased the friction coefficient (COF) of the NBR-based composites under both dry friction and water-lubricated conditions. Especially, the APTES hydrolysis under water-lubricated condition was conducive to the formation of the water film and thus dramatically decreased the COF. The COF of the BF0-A3 and the BF12-A3 were 51% and 30% lower than that of the BF0-A0 and the BF12-A0 under water lubrication, respectively. The APTES grafted on the BF surface increased the wear resistance of the BF/NBR composites attributed to the improvement of the interaction between the BFs and the NBR matrix. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48558.     

Effects of various kinds of fillers on the tribological behavior of polytetrafluoroethylene composites under dry and oil‐lubricated conditions

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)‐based composites filled with various inorganic fillers in a volume fraction of 30% were prepared. The tribological behavior of the PTFE composites sliding against AISI52100 steel under dry and liquid paraffin‐lubricated conditions was investigated on an MHK‐500 model ring‐on‐block test rig. The morphologies of worn surfaces and wear debris were observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an optical microscope. As the results, different fillers show different effects on the tribological behavior of the PTFE composites, while the composite shows much different tribological behavior under lubricated conditions as compared with dry sliding. The tribological behavior of the PTFE composites under dry sliding is greatly related to the uniformity and thickness of the transfer films. Only the PTFE composites with a transfer film of good uniformity and proper thickness may have excellent tribological behavior. The PTFE composites show much better tribological behavior under lubrication of liquid paraffin than under dry sliding, namely, the friction coefficients are decreased by 1 order of magnitude and the wear rate by 1–3 orders of magnitude. Observation of the worn composite surfaces with SEM indicates that fatigue cracks were generated under lubrication of liquid paraffin, owing to the absorption and osmosis of liquid paraffin into the microdefects of the PTFE composites. The creation and development of the fatigue cracks led to fatigue wear of the PTFE composites. This would reduce the mechanical strength and load‐supporting capacity of the PTFE composites. Therefore, the tribological behavior of the PTFE composites under lubrication of liquid paraffin is greatly dependent on the compatibility between the PTFE matrix and the inorganic fillers. In other words, the better is the compatibility between PTFE and fillers the better is the tribological behavior of the composites. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 80: 1891–1897, 2001     

The tribological properties of benzoxazine‐bismaleimides composites with functionalized nano‐SiO2

To improve the tribological properties of benzoxazine (BOZ) resin, bismaleimides (BMI) resin is chosen as organic phase, hyperbranched polysilane functionalized SiO₂ nanoparticles (HBPSi‐SiO₂) are chosen as inorganic modifiers to prepare HBPSi‐SiO₂/BOZ‐BMI composites using high shear and ultrasonic processes. The effect of content of HBPSi‐SiO₂ on the mechanical properties and tribological properties of the composites are investigated. The results show that suitable addition of HBPSi‐SiO₂ can largely enhance the impact strength, reduce the friction coefficient, and wear rate of BOZ‐BMI resin. Scanning electron microscopy is employed to research the wearing mechanism of materials. The severe wear of the BOZ pure resin is owing to fatigue wear, and the moderate wear of BOZ‐BMI resin is attributed to adhesive wear. While, the mild wear of the composites with HBPSi‐SiO₂ is due to abrasive wear. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Wear of liquid crystal‐additivated polymers against steel

A thermotropic liquid crystal, 4,4′‐dibutylazobenzene, added in a 1% weight proportion to thermoplastic materials, polystyrene (PS) and styrene acrylonitrile (SAN), gives, after molding the mixture at 150°C and 22 MPa, a new family of polymers with an improved resistance to sliding dry wear against steel as tested in a pin‐on‐disc tribometer. Variable load, sliding speed, and distance tests were performed to establish the range of conditions under which the wear‐resistance improvement is maximum. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 831–837, 1999