Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) nanocomposites for extreme mechanical and tribological loads

Nano-zinc sulfide (ZnS)- and nano-titanium dioxide (TiO₂)-reinforced polyetheretherketone (PEEK) composites for use under extreme mechanical and tribological loads were developed and investigated systematically. The nanocomposites were manufactured with particle concentrations of 1 to 15 vol.% by using an optimized twin-screw extrud er technology. A simultaneous increase in the strength and elastic modulus of PEEK and an improvement in the tribological properties of PEEK/ZnS compounds were observed. Also, the specific wear rate decreased with increasing ZnS content, reaching its minimum at 3 vol.%. This minimum corresponded to a 60% reduction in the wear rate com pared with that of the neat PEEK. A wear map was re corded for the 3 vol.% composite, which depicted the in fluence of the sliding speed and the normal force on the wear rate over a wide range of parameters. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 289-298, March-April, 2009.