Tribological behavior of PTFE/Kevlar fabric under different contact stresses

The tribological behavior of polytetrafluoroethylene/Kevlar (PTFE/Kevlar) fabric was investigated under different contact stress loads. The prepared PTFE/Kevlar fabric and GCr15 steel were used to form a friction pair, and the tribological properties of the material were tested using a reciprocating friction and wear tester. A stereo microscope, a three-dimensional optical profiler, a field emission scanning electron microscope, and an energy dispersive spectrometer were used to conduct macro- and micro-analysis on the fabric’s wear scar. The results indicated that the friction factor of the PTFE/Kevlar material decreased and then increased as the load increased. The material showed the best tribological performance when the maximum contact stress was 84 MPa (2 N). The friction behavior between the fabric and the GCr15 steel consisted of continuous production, peeling, and regeneration of the PTFE transfer film as the load increased. The wear surface of the fabric showed fiber abrasion and significant wear damage at a contact stress of 143 MPa (10 N). The wear mechanism of the fabric consisted of fatigue wear, abrasive wear, and some oxidative wear.