Effect of temperature on the friction and wear of heat‐resistant polymer‐based composites

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Abstract
The friction and wear of polyether sulphone (PES: ‘Victrex’‐ICI), polyether etherketone (PEEK: ICI), polyamide‐imide (PAI: Torlon'‐Amoco) and Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composites were measured at a constant sliding speed and under a constant load at various temperatures up to 300 °C by rubbing against a steel disc. The frictions of the composites, except for some PAI composites, were generally little dependent upon temperature over a wide range of temperature. PTFE filler was effective in reducing the wear of composites at high temperatures. However, the addition of various fibres to the composites was not effective at high temperatures. The wear of PAI composites increased rapidly with increasing temperature and thus their temperature variations were considerably greater than those of the other composites. The wear of PTFE containing ‘Econol’ E–1 OI, a polyoxybenzylene nomo‐polymer (Sumitomo Chemical Co.) and graphite was similar to that of the PEEK composite containing PTFE, and their wear rates were remarkably low over a wide range of temperature. The wear‐reducing mechanisms of PTFE and ‘Econol’ fillers are discussed on the basis of microscopic examinations of the frictional surfaces.