Abstract

A study is presented on the response thermoplastic composite to aging conditions in presence of lubricants. Glass Fiber reinforced Polyamaide 66 (GF PA66) are proposed as commercial material already used in the field while Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK) is proposed as novel polymeric candidate material due to its chemical stability and high mechanical performance. Accelerated aging tests were carried out to study the response of these materials to external chemical agents under different conditions. Afterwards, a complete set of mechanical and physical tests and characterization procedures were carried out, before and after ageing on suitable samples of the polymers in combination with lubricants, to evaluate the effects of the chemical environment on the mechanical and physical properties of the polymers.