Paper 18: Carbon-Fibre Reinforced Polymers as Self-Lubricating Materials

Abstract

An investigation of the friction, wear, and mechanical properties of polymers reinforced with different proportions of two types of carbon fibre is described. During dry sliding against steel, coefficients of friction of the composites lie within a common range of 0·25–0·35 at high fibre concentrations, and rates of wear can be reduced by factors of more than 103. Fibre reinforcement can also greatly improve the strength, stiffness, and deformation under load. The most important factor influencing the wear rate is the amount of fibre present: the strength is more dependent on adhesion at the fibre–polymer interface. The practical applications of carbon-fibre reinforced polymers are discussed.