On the friction and wear behavior of PTFE composite filled with rare earths treated carbon fibers under oil-lubricated condition

Carbon fibers (CF) were surface treated with air-oxidation, air-oxidation followed by rare earths (RE) treatment and RE treatment, respectively. The friction and wear properties of the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composites filled with differently surface treated carbon fibers, sliding against GCr15 steel under oil lubrication, were investigated on a reciprocating ball-on-disk UMT-2MT tribometer. The worn surfaces of the PTFE composites were examined using a scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Experimental results revealed that surface treatment of carbon fibers reduced the wear of CF-reinforced PTFE composites. Among all the treatments to carbon fibers, RE treatment was the most effective and lowest friction and wear rate of CF-reinforced PTFE composite was exhibited, owing to the effective improvement of the interfacial adhesion between the carbon fibers and PTFE matrix.