Ultra-Lubricating PEEK Material with Friction Coefficient Dropped to 0.029

To address the wear challenges of high-performance engineering plastics in extreme environments, Chinese researchers have achieved a major breakthrough!
Recently, by innovatively designing a molybdenum disulfide/carbon nanotube hybrid material, they successfully developed polyether ether ketone (PEEK) composites with ultra-lubricating properties.

01 Advantages and Limitations of PEEK

Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is a high-performance engineering plastic with outstanding thermal stability, mechanical strength, and chemical resistance. It is widely used in aerospace, marine engineering, and biomedical fields.
However, under extreme conditions involving high temperature, corrosion, and dynamic alternating stress, pure PEEK suffers from accelerated wear, surface fatigue, and insufficient lubrication under heavy loads, limiting its industrial applications.

02 Research Breakthrough: Morphology-Controlled Hybrid Materials

Researchers introduced a morphology-controlled design strategy for molybdenum disulfide/carbon nanotube hybrids.
Two hybrid structures were synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal method:

• MoS₂ Nanoflowers/MWCNTs (MW-7)

• MoS₂ Nanotubes/MWCNTs (MT-5)

Among them, MoS₂ Nanotubes/MWCNTs (MT-5) stood out with a unique 3D network structure—multi-walled carbon nanotubes wrapping hollow MoS₂ nanotubes—significantly improving thermal conductivity, compressive strength, hardness, and load-bearing capacity.

03 Performance Enhancements: Numbers Speak for Themselves

Key test results for MT-5 PEEK composites:

• Mechanical strength: 184.79 MPa (+23.77% vs. pure PEEK)

• Hardness: 90.08 HD (+5.36%)

• Thermal stability: Carbon residue at 800°C reached 61.34%, decomposition temperature +7.6°C, thermal conductivity +73.08%

• Tribological properties: Friction coefficient reduced by 23.73%, wear rate reduced by 88.95%

• Ultra-low friction: 0.029 in anhydrous ethanol, near-superlubricity achieved

04 Mechanisms Behind the Performance

• 3D Reinforcement: Carbon nanotube networks distribute external loads, improving hardness.

• Transfer Film Formation: Smooth transfer film reduces direct frictional contact.

• Heat Management: Improved thermal conductivity prevents frictional heat failure.

• Ethanol Lubrication: Hydrogen bonds formed between ethanol and surface lower shear stress and friction resistance.

05 Industrial Applications and Future Prospects

This innovation shows broad potential in:

• Aerospace: Bearings and gears with improved reliability.

• Marine Engineering: Seals and bearings resistant to corrosion and wear.

• Heavy Equipment: Components under high temperature and heavy loads.

• Biomedical Devices: Artificial joints with reduced wear debris and longer service life.

The ethanol-based lubrication path offers a sustainable, environmentally friendly solution for superlubrication, paving the way for industrial applications in harsh environments.