Session: 04-24-01: Advancing Composite Materials through Integrated Multiscale Modeling and Experimental Techniques

Paper Number: 145754

145754 - Polyetherether Ketone (Peek) Composite Coatings Reinforced With Ceria for Tribological Applications 

PEEK coatings have a wide range of industrial and biomedical applications. PEEK, which stands for polyether ether ketone, is a thermoplastic, which is known for its unique properties, such as toughness, lack of reactivity and biocompatibility which make it popular in both industrial and biomedical fields. These coatings are highly resistant to heat and chemical exposure, making them suitable for use in environments with high temperatures and exposure to water, humidity, steam, and various chemicals. In the biomedical field, PEEK coatings are particularly useful for manufacturing bone implants. Metallic implants have traditionally been used in orthopedic surgery due to their mechanical resistance, but they can release metallic debris and cause non-desirable effects (cytotoxic and inflammations) in the body. PEEK, on the other hand, is a biocompatible polymer that closely resembles the bone in terms of mechanical properties. However, its bioinert nature limits its osseointegration, which is the process of bone integrating with an implant. To overcome this limitation, researchers have been working on improving the bioactivity of PEEK by using different routes, such as surface modification and the fabrication of composites which are bioactive. These advancements aim to enhance the biomechanical performance of PEEK implants and improve patients' quality of life. In industrial applications, PEEK coatings offer exceptional properties that make them suitable for use in various industries. PEEK is well-known for its superior mechanical characteristics, which include wear resistance, creep resistance, and cut-through resistance. It is extremely heat resistant and can tolerate high temperatures up to 260°C (500°F). PEEK coatings are chemically robust, as they are insoluble in typical solvents and resistant to acids, bases, hydrocarbons, salts, and steam and highly abrasion/scratch resistant. These properties make PEEK coatings ideal for applications where performance at elevated temperatures and resistance to chemicals are required, such as in the oil production, chemical production, and aerospace industries. In the current study we developed PEEK composite coatings by reinforcing PEEK with different weight fractions (0.5, 1.5 & 3 wt%) of cerium oxide (CeO2) and evaluated its mechanical and tribological properties. The coatings were deposited on mild steel samples using an electrostatic spray technique. Wear tests were conducted under a wide range of loads (15 to 100 N) and at varying speeds (0.1 to 0.5 m/s) using a ball on disc configuration. It was found that the PEEK coating reinforced with 1.5 wt% of CeO2, exhibited excellent mechanical, thermal and tribological performance. The good performance of this coating was attributed to the uniform dispersion and the inherent mechanical and thermal characteristics of the ceria particles.

Presenting Author: Abdul Samad Mohammed King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals

Presenting Author Biography: • Dr. Mohammed Abdul Samad earned his BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University College of Engineering, Osmania University, Hyderabad.
• He earned his Masters in ME, from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia and joined the department as a lecturer until
• He earned his Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering from the National University of Singapore, Singapore, under the supervision of Prof. Sujeet Kumar Sinha who is now a Professor at IIT-Delhi. His thesis title was, “Environment-friendly Polymeric Boundary Lubricants for Mechanical Bearing Systems”
• He worked as a Post-doc in the National University of Singapore for one year wherein he worked on the Nano-tribology aspects of Magnetic Hard Disk Storage Systems.
• Currently he is an Associate Professor and the Director of Tribology Lab in the ME Department at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Saudi Arabia.
• His main research interests include Micro\Nano tribology, thin films, coatings and polymer nano-composites. He has more than 100 papers published in reputed journals.

Authors:

Amal Ameen Seenath King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals
Murtuza Mirza Ali Baig King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals
Abdul Samad Mohammed King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals