20.500.12556/RUL-180441 Sliding-speed effects on self-lubricating marine composites: a comparative assessment of tribological, mechanical, and thermal performance Net-zero by 2050 demands scalable renewables. Ocean wave/tidal energy, though denser than solar and wind, remains at low TRL. A pivotal barrier is the material durability and performance of ocean (hydraulic) rod linear bearings that remain key components of WECs including point absorbers. This study presents a comparative mechanical, thermal, and tribological evaluation of eight commercial and newly developed self-lubricating bearing materials, including thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers, and a bronze-based alloy, under unlubricated conditions. The materials incorporate diverse reinforcement architectures, including short fibers, woven and continuous fiber fabrics, and solid lubricant particulate fillers. Tribological testing was conducted under an 18 hrs long-duration dry reciprocating pin-on-flat configuration at 0.02–0.1 m/s under 250 N load. Friction behavior, wear rates, and surface degradation were recorded. Post-test analyses using SEM, FTIR, and 3D surface profilometry revealed distinct wear mechanisms and transfer film behavior. Wear maps integrating friction, wear rate, and a normalized multi-parameter performance index reveal sliding-speed-dependent tribological transitions and enable ranking of marine composites. The findings establish a foundational understanding for bearing failure mechanisms, predictive design and material selection in ocean tribological systems. ocean tribology wave energy converter self-lubrication polymer composites hydrobearings friction marine lubrication oceanska tribologija pretvorniki valovne energije mazanje polimerni kompoziti ležaji trenje true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Članek v reviji 2026-03-09 14:05:49 2026-03-09 14:05:59 2026-07-03 11:30:27 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2026 0 0 19 str. Vol. 216, art. 111593 2026 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 539.92:621.89 0301-679X 10.1016/j.triboint.2025.111593 270987011 Kumar_..._Sliding-speed_effects....pdf Kumar_..._Sliding-speed_effects....pdf 1 6170A42C4DFD290C6D5B8F05285878BB 47bca189abe4403ce7e0e589c1a2aa4786e32eb288ead05bec1de2887d6f1fae 94a8615f-1bb8-11f1-a1ba-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=229831 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301679X25010898 1 4c4c6ac3-1bb8-11f1-a1ba-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=229830 Fakulteta za strojništvo 0 0 0