# Effect of Fiber Material on Tribological Performance of Filament-Winding Composite Materials in a Water-Lubricated Environment

## TL;DR

This study examines how different fiber materials affect the performance of composite materials used in water-lubricated bearings, finding that aramid fibers significantly reduce friction and wear.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is demonstrating aramid fibers' superior reinforcement in polyurethane composites under water-lubricated conditions.

## Key findings

- Aramid fiber composites reduced friction coefficient by 57.73% compared to pure polyurethane under specific conditions.
- Aramid fiber composites limited wear mass to 1.5 mg, 12% lower than polyurethane under tested conditions.
- Filament-winding technology effectively enhances polymer properties for water-lubricated bearings.

## Abstract

Water-lubricated bearings are critical components in marine propulsion systems, necessitating materials with exceptional tribological properties to ensure reliability. Filament-winding technology is an effective molding method for enhancing the comprehensive properties of polymers, and the selection of fiber materials has a significant impact on the performance of polymers. In this study, three types of polyurethane (PU) matrix filament-winding composites were fabricated via filament-winding technology. Under water-lubricated conditions, a friction test (disk-to-disk) with a duration of 2 h was performed, followed by systematic observations of the resultant wear behavior. The results indicate that aramid fibers exhibited the superior reinforcing effect on the PU matrix, effectively suppressing wear while enhancing mechanical properties. Specifically, under the conditions of 0.5 MPa-250 r/min (0.314 m/s), the minimum friction coefficient of the aramid fiber-wound composite material was 0.093, which was 57.73% lower than that of pure polyurethane. Under the conditions of 0.7 MPa-50 r/min (0.0628 m/s), the wear mass of the sample was limited to only 1.5 mg, which was 12% lower than that of polyurethane. This research can provide a practical reference for the application of filament-wound composite materials in water-lubricated bearings.