Effect of Rare Earths on Tribological Properties of Carbon Fibers Reinforced PTFE Composites

Carbon fibers (CF) were surface treated with air-oxidation and rare earths (RE), respectively. The effect of RE surface treatment on tensile strength and tribological properties of CF reinforced polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composites was investigated. Experimental results revealed that RE was superior to air oxidation in improving the tensile strength, elongation, and the tensile modulus of CF reinforced PTFE (CF/PTFE) composite. Compared to the untreated and air-oxidated CF/PTFE composite, the RE treated composite had the lowest friction coefficient and specific wear rate under a given applied load and reciprocating sliding frequency. The RE treatment effectively improved the interfacial adhesion between CF and PTFE. With strong interfacial coupling, the carbon fibers carried most of the load, and direct contact and adhesion between PTFF and the counterpart were reduced, accordingly the friction and wear properties of the composite were improved.