Abstract
Polymeric materials containing different fillers and/or reinforcements are frequently used for applications in which friction and wear are critical issues. This overview describes especially how to design high temperature resistant thermoplastics, e.g., filled with carbon fibers and internal lubricants, in order to operate under low friction and wear at elevated temperatures as sliding elements in, e.g., textile drying machines. Further information will be given on the sliding wear behavior of some liquid crystal polymer (LCP) systems against steel, and on special studies of fretting wear behavior of various LCP composites, as used for high precision bearing systems, e.g., in stepper motors or cooling fans. Finally, a systematic development of continuous fiber/polymer composites, to be used as filament would bushings (corrosion resistant, maintenance free) or as spherical plain bearings of extremely high load carrying capacity (thin layer composites) is outlined.