High Temperature Friction and Wear Behavior of PTFE/MoS2 Composites

Abstract

High performance polymer matrix composites with low friction and wear rate are of urgent requirement in sliding bearings and gaskets. In this study, the PTFE/MoS2 composites were prepared and the effect of testing temperature on the tribological properties were investigated. Results show that the friction coefficient and wear rate are approximately (0.14–0.19) and (4.18–13.38 × 10−4 mm3/Nm) at testing temperatures from 25 to 250 °C, respectively. At testing temperatures above 200 °C, the coefficient of friction of the composite with the addition of MoS2 is lower than that of pure PTFE, while the wear rate of the composite material with the addition of 2 wt.% and 5 wt.% MoS2 is lower than that of pure PTFE at temperatures above 150 °C. At low testing temperatures (25–100 °C), the main wear mechanism is that of slight abrasive wear, while from 150 °C to 250 °C, the main wear mechanism transformed to fatigue and severe abrasive wear.