A Review on the Tribological behaviour of Polyether ether Ketone (PEEK)Poly ether ether ketone (PEEK), a colourless high performance organic thermoplastic polymer is employed in a diverse range of engineering applications. Due to PEEK’s outstanding proper

Abstract

Poly ether ether ketone (PEEK), a colourless high performance organic thermoplastic polymer is employed in a diverse range of engineering applications. Due to PEEK’s outstanding property profile, ceramic and metal tribo-components are being replaced with PEEK. However, in environments with high temperature, the tribological properties of the polymer deteriorate. Hence, suitable polymers are blended with PEEK to improve its wear and friction properties. The anti-wear feature of PEEK is enhanced by improving the wear resistance with reinforcements like Zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂), Tungsten disulfide (WS₂), Silicon carbide (SiC), Aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃), and so on. The tribological behaviour of PEEK carbon fibre can be further improved by treating it with plasma. PEEK and its compounds are deliberated extensively in this paper based on their tribological behaviour in dry and wet conditions. The thermal, chemical, wear and biocompatibility of PEEK, reinforced grades, applications and processing conditions are discussed in detail. Tribology of PEEK blends with liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyether imide (PEI) along with the recent research trends are also studied in this purpose.