EFFECT OF NANOCRYSTALLINE Fe71,1Nb3Cu1Si18,6B6,3 ALLOY ON THE ABRASIVE WEAR RATE OF POLYETHERETHERKETONE AND ULTRA-HIGH-MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYETHYLENE

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of the content of a nanocrystalline magnetic alloy (at.%) with the composition Fe_71,1Nb₃Cu₁Si_18,6B_6,3 (Finemet class) on the abrasive wear index of polyetheretherketone and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. The tests were carried out under conditions involving rigidly fixed abrasive particles using a HECKERT machine; hardness and surface roughness parameters were also determined. It was found that introducing this alloy at 5–35 wt.% leads to a 2,9-fold increase in the wear resistance of polyetheretherketone and a 2-fold increase for ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. The enhancement in wear resistance of the investigated metal-polymer composite materials is attributed to the fact that small (40–100 µm) hard particles of the Fe_71,1Nb₃Cu₁Si_18,6B_6,3 alloy (with a microhardness of approximately 15 000 MPa) hinder micro-cutting and microplastic deformation processes, thereby reducing the depth of ploughing grooves. This is also confirmed by a decrease in the surface roughness parameter (R_a) of polyetheretherketone by 2,9 times and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene by 2,5 times. Increasing the filler content beyond 30 wt.% for polyetheretherketone and 35 wt.% for ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene leads to particle agglomeration, increased porosity, and a subsequent decline in the material's tribological performance. The developed metal-polymer composite materials are recommended for the manufacturing of working components and auxiliary units in modern machinery operating in aggressive abrasive environments.