Abstract: The performances of liners of hybrid polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)/kevlar fabrics are modified by CeO₂. The tribological properties of self-lubricating spherical plain bearings are test on the spherical plain bearing tester under continuous swaying condition with a swaying frequency of 2.5 Hz and a swaying angle of ±10°, and the film-forming and wear mechanism of the bearing are analyzed by observing the worn surfaces with scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results show that the tribological properties of the bearings modified by CeO₂ are much more improved compared to the unmodified bearings, especially the effects of improving the wear resistance and preventing the temperature from rising are remarkable. The reason is that a relatively stable PTFE transfer film forms in a short time on the worn surface of the liner modified by CeO₂, which has good smoothness, thickness uniformity and wear resistance ability. There are slight adhesive and abrasive wears on the modified bearing liners , but there are serious adhesive and abrasive wears on the unmodified bearing liners.

Key words: mechanics, spherical plain bearing, CeO₂, modification, liner, friction wear, polytetrafluoroethylene transfer film