The effects of lubricating-oil additive zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP) on the friction and wear properties of polymers and their composites sliding against GCr15 bearing steel were studied by using an MHK-500 ring-on-block wear tester (Timken wear tester). Then the frictional surfaces of the friction pairs were examined by using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). Experimental results show that the ZDDP contained in liquid paraffin has little effect on the friction coefficients of the polyimide (PI) or polyamide 66 (PA66) against GCr15 bearing steel friction pairs compared with that under the lubrication of liquid paraffin, but it slightly reduces the friction coefficients of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or its composites against GCr15 bearing steel friction pairs. Under lubrication of liquid paraffin containing 2 wt % ZDDP, the ZDDP film absorbed on the frictional surfaces of the PTFE composites-GCr15 bearing steel friction pairs exhibits obvious antiwear properties; it greatly reduces the wear of pure PTFE and the PTFE composites filled with rb, PbO, and MoS2; and the wear of the PTFE composites can be reduced by one order of magnitude compared with that under lubrication of pure liquid paraffin. Meanwhile, the inorganic fillers Pb, PbO, and MoS2 contained in PTFE have little effect on the absorption of ZDDP to the frictional surfaces, so they have little effect on the friction coefficients of the PTFE composites-GCr15 bearing steel friction pairs under the lubrication of liquid paraffin containing 2 wt % ZDDP. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.