Preparation of high-performance PEEK anti-wear blends with melt-processable PTFE

Abstract

High-performance anti-wear polyetheretherketone/polytetrafluoroethylene (PEEK/PTFE) blends have drawn much attention over the past few years, owing to their wide range of potential applications. However, a convenient and effective method to prepare such blends with superior mechanical and tribological properties is still lacking. In this work, we propose a promising approach that uses melt-processable PTFE (MP PTFE), instead of conventional PTFE, to prepare anti-wear blends. MP PTFE, with melt flow abilities under appropriate conditions, can disperse homogeneously in PEEK, enhancing both the mechanical and tribological properties of the PEEK/PTFE blend. To prove this postulation, in this work, both MP PTFE and commercial PTFE were blended with PEEK, separately, and the effects of PTFE type and content on the tensile and tribological properties of the blends were studied. The results showed that, although the addition of commercial PTFE to PEEK could increase the wear resistance, it decreased the tensile strength of PEEK significantly. Compared to the blends with commercial PTFE, the blends with MP PTFE exhibited better tribological performance and higher tensile strength for PTFE content below 10 wt%. It was confirmed that the better dispersion of MP PTFE in PEEK endowed the blends with higher tensile strength. The surface analysis indicated that the MP PTFE could readily migrate to and enrich the surfaces of the blends. The relatively high PTFE content on the surface favored the formation of tribo-films, enhancing the tribological properties of the blends.