Abstract
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 100°C 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.
