Friction and Wear Performance of a Hydraulic Motor Roller/Piston Pair Contact Lined with the Self-Lubricating Bearing Bush Modified by PEEK

Abstract

Poly Ether Ether Ketone (PEEK) is a kind of special engineering plastic with excellent properties such as high-temperature resistance, self-lubrication, wear resistance, and high mechanical strength. However, its blending or composite modification applications still face numerous challenges. The primary objective of this research was to evaluate the friction and wear performance of a three-layer self-lubricating bearing bush, which was made from a modified material containing short carbon fiber and Poly Ether Ether Ketone (SCF/PEEK). The bearing bush is used as a surface contact layer on the pistons of a hydraulic motor in the interface with the cam roller. The bearing bush was processed using a 15% SCF-modified PEEK material, and the friction and wear test was conducted using a self-built friction test machine. This study aimed to assess the frictional and wear characteristics of the SCF/PEEK-modified material in the bearing bush. The results show that as the experimental pressure rises from 15 MPa to 25 MPa, the friction coefficient of the SCF-modified bearing bush experiences a significant decrease from 0.420 to 0.296. Furthermore, the stability of the frictional morphology of carbon fibers indicates its effective adaptability to low speed and high load conditions.