On sliding friction and wear of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) composites at elevated temperatures

The friction and wear behaviour of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) composites, incorporating different amounts of short carbon fibres with different surface treatments, was studied under dry sliding conditions against smooth steel on a pin-on-disc apparatus at different temperatures. Wear of the composites was reduced considerably in all cases, but, whatever the surface treatment, wear increased with increasing temperature for all proportions off fibres. For minimum friction coefficient there was an optimum proportion of fibre volume fraction of about 10 vol.%. The effect of the fibre surface treatment was not significant for the tribological behaviour of the PEEK composites. To predict wear performance, a wear model proposed by Friedrich and Voss seemed to work properly, and, furthermore, a friction model was developed to predict the friction behaviour of PEEK composites with short carbon fibres.