The Effect of Surface Texture on the Wear Resistance of Carbon Fiber‐Reinforced Polyetheretherketone/ Si ₃ N ₄ : Increased Wear Under Water Lubrication, and Reduced Wear Under Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine Lubrication

ABSTRACT Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is a potential artificial joint material. In general, carbon fiber‐reinforced PEEK (CF‐PEEK) exhibits superior mechanical and tribological properties compared to pure PEEK. However, under dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) lubrication, the wear rate ( w ) of CF‐PEEK exceeds that of pure PEEK because the surface carbon fiber hinders the formation of a DPPC lubrication film. To solve this problem, the effects of texture parameters (2 diameters and 3 depth‐to‐diameter ratios) and lubricating media (water and DPPC) on the wear resistance of CF‐PEEK/Si ₃ N ₄ are systematically studied. Results show that almost all textures increase the w of CF‐PEEK under water media, with a maximum increase of 82%. Moreover, all textures under DPPC media reduce the w of CF‐PEEK, with an optimal reduction of 52%.