Friction and wear performances of natural grade poly-ether-ether ketone (PEEK) and three PEEK composites e.g. 30 mass% carbon fibre reinforced (PC-1), 30 mass% glass fibre reinforced (PC-2), and 10 mass% each PTFE/graphite/carbon fibre reinforced (PC-3) were studied under water lubricated, slow speed sliding conditions. Tribological tests were carried out on Pin-on-Disc setup and 17-4 PH stainless steel was used as counterface material. Test conditions were; 3, 6, 12 MPa contact pressures (P) and 0.05, 0.005 m/s sliding speeds (V). Natural grade and glass-fibres reinforced composite (PC-2) exhibited poor friction and wear characteristics at all PV conditions. Composite reinforced with high percentage of carbon (PC-1) showed good tribological performances at all PV conditions. However PTFE/graphite/carbon fibre reinforced grade (PC-3) showed improved performance at very low sliding speed (0.005 m/s). Increased sliding speed resulted into dramatically increase in wear rate of PC-3, may be due to non-retention of transfer film of PTFE and graphite on the counterface material. Good tribological behavior of PC-1 attributed to addition of 30 mass% carbon fibres, which was effective to protect the matrix material from shear and abrasion. Wear mechanisms were discussed based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the worn surfaces. These results were also compared with conventional material pair.
Current work was simulated for sliding wear interaction of materials of fuel bundle bearing pad (zircaloy-4) and magazine rotor tube (AISI 304 stainless steel) of Indian Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs). A plan of experiments, based on the techniques of Taguchi, was performed. The objective was to establish a correlation between load and sliding speed with the volume loss and coefficient of friction (COF). These correlations were obtained by multiple linear regressions. The treatment of the experimental results is based on the analysis average and the analysis of variance (ANOVA). Worn surface analyses carried out using SEM and wear mechanisms were identified. ANOVA analysis indicated that load factor has a great influence on the coefficient of friction (∼73%). COF suddenly increases to high value after a particular contact pressure due to absence of lubricating film and increase in metal to metal contact. Volume loss of AISI 304 stainless steel and zircaloy-4 is highly affected due to load (∼90%) and speed (∼65%), respectively. Worn surfaces exhibited deformation, adherence, and compaction of material at all PV conditions. Contact pressures above 475 MPa indicated formation of ratcheting mechanisms and formation of fatigue striation marks. Due to low yield strength of AISI 304 SS, volume loss was on higher side than that of Zr-4.
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