Preliminary Study of the Elevated Temperature Tribological Behavior of Poly(ether-ether-ketone)-based In Situ Composites Under Unlubricated Sliding Conditions

The effects of temperature on the tribological behavior of PEEK, an amorphous thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (TLCP), and in-situ composites based on a blend of PEEK and the TLCP were investigated. Friction and wear tests under unlubricated sliding conditions were conducted at selected temperatures in the range from 20 degrees C to 250 degrees C. Within the same temperature range, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) thermoscans were performed on each of the test polymers. The impact of thermally activated molecular relaxation processes on the tribological performance of the polymers tested, the phase structure of the PEEK/TLCP in-situ composites, and the potential of in-situ reinforcement as a means to enhance the high temperature tribological performance of PEEK are discussed.