Study on mechanics and high temperature tribological properties of porous bearing cage material

To meet the self-lubricating performance requirements of aerospace bearing cages, poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK)-based self-lubricating bearing cage materials were prepared based on the Fused Deposition Molding (FDM) process. The mechanical and tribological properties under high temperature condition (200°C) of the porous self-lubricating materials were researched. The results of microstructure analysis of porous sample showed that under laboratory conditions, NaCl can exhibit excellent pore-forming effect and could be effectively removed. The mechanical test results showed that the mechanical properties of the samples showed a significant decrease with the increase in porosity, and were affected by the synergistic effect of pore creation. However, the mechanical properties of heat-treated samples can meet the performance requirements of the bearing cage. The results of the tribological performance tests under high temperature conditions showed that the wear process of the dense samples was more smoother. Further comparing with the tribological properties at room temperature, it was found that the wear resistance of PEEK samples decreased under high temperature conditions. The normalized results of the mechanical and tribological properties data show that the samples with 50 wt% of porogenic agent can express the most balanced and excellent overall performance.