Applications of dry film lubricants for polymer gears

► DFL coatings applied to surface of polymer gears to control tribological properties. ► Effectiveness of DFLs varied with base material and gear mesh combination. ► PTFE is the most effective coating for reducing temperature and wear in unreinforced polymer gears. ► Failure of the DFL coatings were predominately in delamination and abrasive wear. ► DFL coatings shown not to be effective in polymer composite gears.