Wear of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymers in a High Vacuum Environment

Abstract

THE friction and wear properties of carbon fibre reinforced polymers in dry conditions of sliding in air have recently been reported by Lancaster^1,2. His findings, that the fibres reduced the wear rate and coefficient of friction of almost all the polymers studied, have promoted considerable interest in these materials. In addition, the resulting improvements in strength and stiffness properties suggest that they are attractive for use as self-lubricating components in aerospace engineering. The wear performance of a variety of these composites in a high vacuum environment has been investigated in this laboratory. It has been found that the addition of fibres can be effective in reducing the wear rate of the polymer in vacuum, but it is also evident that whereas in air rates of wear tend to decrease with increasing fibre content, in a vacuum high fibre concentration (40–50 per cent) is definitely deleterious to the wear performance of the composite.