Tribological Properties of Self-Lubricating Spherical Plain Bearings with PTFE/PPS Fabric Liners

Two kinds of self-lubricating spherical plain bearings with PTFE/PPS fabric liners were prepared. With spherical plain bearing tester, the tribological properties of self-lubricating spherical plain bearings were studied under a 35 kN of radial load and a 2.5 Hz of swing frequency. The worn surface morphologies and wear mechanisms were investigated by using scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS), and confocal laser scanning micrscopy(CLSM). Results show that the self-lubricating spherical plain bearings with PTFE/Short PPS fibers presented better tribological properties. Compared with self-lubricating spherical plain bearings with PTFE/Filament PPS fibers, the wear resistance and the PTFE tribofilm proportion increased by 22.9% and 69.7%, respectively. The main wear mechanism of the bearings with PTFE/Short PPS fibers was mild adhesive wear and abrasive wear. The main wear mechanism of the bearings with PTFE/Filament PPS fibers was severe adhesive wear and abrasive wear.