AbstractIn many applications, such as marine industries, pumping of underground water, and in some chemical industries, sliding elements are lubricated with the process fluid (e.g. salt water). Therefore, the effect of salt water on the tribological behaviour of metallic friction couples has been a subject of study. In the present work, the influence of salt water solution (3 wt. % sodium chloride) on the tribological behaviour of some polymeric coatings is investigated, using a pin‐on‐disc testing machine, at different sliding speeds and normal loads. The coating consists of a base‐matrix of high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyamide (PA6) with different concentrations of copper‐ and tin‐powder fillers. The effect of the formation of the oxide films, sodium hydroxide microlayers (NaOH) and the polymeric transformed films on the friction mechanism, is discussed. The results show that squeeze of the lubricant takes place in the presence of the NaCl‐solution; and, despite the relatively low viscosity of the lubricant, hydrodynamic pressure affected the friction mechanism at the sliding speed of 0.50 m/s, resulting in a significant reduction in the coefficient of friction. The value of the coefficient of friction seems also to be affected by the generation of sodium hydroxide, as well as the oxide films and material transfer layers. At a low speed (0.20 m/s), the PA6‐based composites with copper‐filler showed an optimal wear resistance at norma