Evaluation of The Tribological Performance of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polyetheretherketone Composites

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-US">Carbon fiber reinforced polyetheretherketone (CF/PEEK) composites arewidely used in tribological applications due to their outstanding superiorproperties. The friction and wear performance of composite materials depends stronglyon tribological factors. In the present study, the tribological performance ofCF/PEEK composites under different friction and wear conditions wasinvestigated. Wear tests were carried out under dry sliding conditions using ablock-on-ring test apparatus. The parametric effect was investigated by varyingthe parameters of normal force (50, 150 N), sliding velocity (0.5, 1.5 m/s),and sliding distance (100, 300 m). The wear track dimensions were measuredusing a stereo microscope, and volume losses and specific wear rates weredetermined. The coefficients of friction as a function of sliding distance wereobtained and reported. At the end of the wear tests initiated at roomtemperature, the final temperatures of the test specimens were measured using athermal camera. Increased normal force increased the contact temperature,decreased the average friction coefficient, increased the volume loss, andincreased the wear rate. Increased sliding velocity also increased the contacttemperature, decreased the average coefficient of friction, increased thevolume loss, and increased the wear rate. Increased sliding distance increased thecontact temperature, slightly increased the average coefficient of friction, andincreased the volume loss, but its increasing effect on volume loss did notoccur on the wear rate. The morphology of the worn surfaces was examined usingscanning electron microscopy (SEM), and potential wear mechanisms werediscussed. Determining the performance of materials against differenttribological effects and understanding the underlying mechanisms will provideinsights into the development of high-resistance tribological materials.<o:p></o:p></span>