High performance polymer wear testing for powertrain transmissions

Polyaryletherketones (PAEK) and polyimides (PI) are increasingly used for demanding tribological applications, especially in automotive powertrains. The parameters that influence the wear rate of these materials are pressure (p), temperature, interfacial velocity (v), counterfacial roughness, component geometry and lubrication. Using the geometry and counterface defined in the testing standard ASTM D 3702, a high velocity comparative study of these high performance engineering polymers was conducted in an attempt to understand the effects of the pressure and velocity combination (pv) on wear rate.