Research progress on the tribological properties of self-lubricating fabric liners

Self-lubricating fabric liners are the core functional materials of self-lubricating joint bearings and have garnered significant attention in the field of high-tech equipment lubrication because of their excellent characteristics, such as impact resistance, corrosion resistance, and high load-bearing capacity. This review summarizes recent progress in tribological research on self-lubricating fabric composites, covering external parameters, woven structures, reinforced fibers, resin matrix designs, and filler/interface modifications. The correlation between the dynamic response of the friction interface (friction coefficient (COF), wear rate) and the macroscopic mechanical behavior (load-carrying capacity, fatigue resistance) of the composites was systematically revealed through cross-scale analysis. Furthermore, the synergistic effects of multiscale factors on the tribological and mechanical properties of liner materials are elucidated. This provides a theoretical basis and technical guidance for developing high-performance self-lubricating fabric liners with high wear resistance and low friction fluctuations, effectively improving the efficiency of engineering applications of such materials under extreme load, temperature, and medium conditions.