Influence of sliding orientation on tribological properties of hybrid PTFE/Kevlar fabric composites

Abstract

A fabric liner is an ideal self-lubricating material that has been widely used in self-lubricating spherical plain bearings. To investigate the influence of sliding orientation on the tribological properties of fabric liners, samples were prepared for different fiber orientations relative to the sliding direction and wear tests were conducted under normal loads of 25 N to 200 N. Composite-90° (sliding along Kevlar fibers) shows the best friction and wear properties under loads of 50 N and 100 N, while composite-0° (sliding along PTFE fibers) exhibits the best tribological properties when the load increases to 200 N. Due to the formation of a PTFE transfer film, the friction coefficient even decreases during the stable wear stage. Although the dry sliding condition is controlled by a transfer film formed on the friction interface, the contact geometry generated by the interlacing fibers as well as sliding direction continue to dominate the tribological properties under a light load. The combination of a suitable heavy load and sliding along the PTFE fiber is conducive to the formation of a stable and continuous transfer film of debris. Accordingly, the lowest friction coefficient of 0.105 and the lowest wear depth of 0.056 mm are achieved for composite-0° under 200 N.