Friction and Wear of Polyetheretherketone Samples With Different Melt Flow Indices

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is a promising polymer material for tribological applications. Friction and wear tests of PEEK samples versus steel with different melt flow indices (MFI) were studied. The results showed dependencies of the friction force on the sliding velocity, either decreasing or increasing depending on whether the normal load exceeds the yield strength of the polymer. The data can be well fitted with the assumption of the two-component friction law involving the Amontons component and an adhesional component. With a decrease in MFI, i.e., with an increase in viscosity of polymer, the adhesive component of friction increases with increasing viscosity while the abrasive wear decreases. At high loads, the plastic displacement increases with an increase in the viscosity and plasticity of the polymer. The wear does not show a clear correlation with the viscosity.