Tribological performance of 3D printed neat and carbon fiber reinforced PEEK composites

This work investigates the tribological behavior of neat and carbon fiber-reinforced polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) materials processed using the fused filament fabrication (FFF) technique. The reciprocating sliding behavior of printed polymers against stainless steel (SS) under dry and water-lubricated conditions was studied. The running-in behavior and evolution of friction were dependent on the material combination and sliding conditions. PEEK reinforced with 10 wt% carbon fibers was optimal considering tribological performance. Neat PEEK exhibited a combination of abrasive and adhesive wear mechanisms, while composites primarily showed fiber-matrix debonding and delamination during sliding. The outcome of this work has significance in improving the processing design of PEEK-based materials in extrusion-based 3D printing for tribological applications.