Influence of cenosphere on tribological properties of short carbon fiber reinforced PEEK composites

This investigation focuses on the effects of cenosphere fillers on tribological properties of carbon fiber reinforced PEEK composites. Dry sliding wear behavior of 15 wt % short carbon fiber (SCF) reinforced PEEK composites filled with 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt % cenosphere was reported in this study, pure PEEK and 15 wt % SCF reinforced PEEK composites were also prepared for comparative analysis. Friction and wear experiments were conducted on a ring‐on‐block apparatus under different loads (100–400 N). The experimental results showed that all the composites exhibited lower coefficient of friction and better wear resistance than the matrix resin under different load conditions. It is noted that 10 wt % of the cenosphere particles filled SCF reinforced PEEK composites show superior tribological properties when compared to the other composites in this study. The morphologies of the worn surface and the fracture surface were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and the transfer film was observed by optical microscope to understand the dominant wear mechanisms.