Enhanced Friction and Wear Behavior of PEEK Composites with Low-Content UHMWPE under Elevated-Temperature Conditions

To overcome the high friction and wear limitations of pure polyether ether ketone (PEEK) under elevated-temperature sliding, this study develops novel PEEK composites by incorporating ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE).Composites with UHMWPE contents ranging from 1.0% to 10.0% were fabricated via hot pressing and tested at an elevated temperature of 100C using a ball-on-disk tribometer.Results show that a low-content addition of 2.0% UHMWPE to PEEK results in optimal tribological performance, achieving reductions of 87%, 98%, and 71% in friction coefficient, wear rate, and surface roughness, respectively, compared to pure PEEK.This study presents an effective approach to enhancing the tribological performance of PEEK composites, with significant implications for elevated-temperature engineering applications, particularly in PEEK-based sliding bearings.