Abstract
<jats:sec> <jats:title>Purpose</jats:title> <jats:p>The purpose of this study is to experimentally investigate and compare the tribological performance of a textolite–steel gear pair with a conventional steel–steel pair under rolling–sliding contact conditions representative of textile machinery. Gear transmissions are essential components of textile machinery, where friction and wear significantly influence durability, energy efficiency and operational reliability. Conventional steel gears operating under boundary and mixed lubrication conditions are prone to adhesive and abrasive wear, particularly in dust-laden environments. Polymer-based composite materials have emerged as promising alternatives due to their lower elastic modulus, improved damping capacity and favorable tribological behavior.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Design/methodology/approach</jats:title> <jats:p>This study experimentally compares the tribological performance of a textolite–steel gear pair with that of a conventional steel–steel pair under rolling–sliding contact conditions representative of textile machinery. Tests were conducted under normal loads of 100–400 N and sliding velocities of 0.5–1.5 m s−¹, with sliding distances up to 5400 m, under dry contact conditions as a conservative baseline. The friction coefficient, volumetric wear rate, contact temperature rise and transfer-film formation were quantitatively evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analyses were performed to characterize worn surface morphology and transfer-film composition.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Findings</jats:title> <jats:p>The textolite–steel pair exhibited a 35%–50% lower steady-state friction coefficient (µ = 0.04–0.07) compared with the steel–steel pair (µ = 0.08–0.12). Wear rates were reduced by a factor of two to four (W = 0.8–2.0 × 10−6 mm³ N−¹ m−¹ versus 3.0–6.0 × 10−6 mm³ N−¹ m−¹), and friction-induced temperature rise decreased from 22°C–35°C to 10–20°C. SEM/EDS analysis confirmed the formation of a carbon- and oxygen-enriched polymer transfer film (C: 12.3 wt.%, O: 4.2 wt.%) on the steel counterface.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Originality/value</jats:title> <jats:p>The improved tribological performance is attributed to three coupled mechanisms: elastic compliance, interfacial stress redistribution and stable polymer transfer-film formation. SEM and EDS evidence directly substantiates the proposed transfer-film mechanism. These findings provide an experimentally grounded framework for improving the durability and energy efficiency of composite gear systems in textile machinery. The study is conducted under dry contact conditions; the influence of lubrication on the observed mechanisms is identified as a direction for future investigation.</jats:p> </jats:sec>