Study on the Friction and Sliding Wear Behavior of Hybrid Polytetrafluoroethylene/Kevlar Fabric Composites Filled with Polyphenylene Sulfide

Hybrid fabric/polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) composites filled with the particulates of PPS were prepared by dip coating the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)/poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) (Kevlar) hybrid fabric in a PPS suspension solution containing the particulates to be incorporated. The friction coefficient and wear rate of the hybrid fabric/PPS composites were evaluated on a MPX-2000A friction and wear tester with an end-face contact mode in a dry sliding condition. The results showed the hybrid PTFE/Kevlar fabric composites filled with 40 wt% PPS had the best tribological behavior. The friction coefficient and wear rate decreased with an increase in sliding speed, and they reached the lowest value when the load was 1000 N. The Rockwell hardness affected the wear rate to some degree. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs revealed that even, smooth, and coherent transfer films, formed on the counterface, played an important role in the friction process. They were effective in improving the tribological properties. The surface appearances and cross sections of the hybrid fabric composites were examined through SEM. They showed that the PPS held the hybrid fabric together and adhered it to the wear tester surface, accounting for the improvement of the tribological properties of the hybrid fabric/PPS composites.