Tribological behavior of carbon nanotube and polytetrafluoroethylene filled polyimide composites under different lubricated conditions

The friction and wear behavior of polyimide (PI) composites reinforced with carbon nanotube (CNT) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) were comparatively evaluated under dry sliding, water‐, oil‐ or alkali‐lubricated condition. The wear mechanisms of the composites were also discussed. Results indicate that, when comparison with the dry friction situation, PI‐based composites results lower friction coefficients and wear rates under oil‐ or alkali‐lubricated condition. The lowest wear rate of the CNT/PTFE/PI composite is recorded as 1.2 × 10⁻⁶ mm³/Nm during the composite sliding in alkali, which is only about 40% of the value sliding under dry friction condition. The worn surface of neat PI under dry sliding is characterized by severe adhesive wear, whereas abrasive wear is the main character for CNT/PTFE/PI composites. The worn surfaces of CNT/PTFE/PI composites sliding in oil or alkali lubricated condition are smoother than those under dry or water condition. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Role of internal additives in the friction and wear of carbon‐fiber‐reinforced polyimide

Polyimide composites should function in sliding contacts under high temperatures, but the interference of carbon fibers with sliding mechanisms is difficult to predict: they often increase the coefficients of friction and act abrasively but show lubricating properties under other conditions. The friction and wear behavior of thermoplastic polyimides reinforced with short carbon fibers and filled with solid internal lubricant (polytetrafluoroethylene) or silicon oil was investigated in this study with a reciprocating cylinder‐on‐plate tester under 50 N at 0.3 m/s with steel counterfaces that were heated at 23–260°C. We concluded that polytetrafluoroethylene additives effectively reduced the coefficients of friction over the entire temperature range, especially under thermally controlled sliding conditions at 120°C, whereas the internal silicon oil increased the coefficients of friction. The wear rates of the fiber‐reinforced polyimide significantly decreased with respect to those of the thermoplastic polyimide, whereas additional fillers slightly increased the wear rates. We further analyzed the role of internal additives by considering the deformation and maximum polymer surface temperature during sliding. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Comparative study on the tribological properties of the polyimide composites reinforced with different fibers

In this study, friction and wear of polyimides reinforced by carbon, glass, aramid, and nano‐alumina fibers were studied and comparatively evaluated against Si₃N₄ on a ball‐on‐disk test rig under dry rotating and reciprocating sliding, and coefficient of friction and wear rate were considered as responses. The worn surfaces of the composites were examined by scanning electron microscopy to reveal wear mechanisms of the materials' damage. Wear mechanisms are found to be dependent on the test conditions and mechanical properties of the composites itself. It was proven that different reinforcements had different effects on the friction and wear behavior of the polyimide composites to a great extent. The testing condition also had an important role on the tribological properties of the same materials. The best performance was shown by glass fiber‐reinforced polyimide composites owing to their excellent strength and hardness which can share the applied load on the sliding surface. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:2541–2548, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Influence of the hard segment content on the mechanical and tribological properties of the polyurethane modified by hydroxyl‐terminated polydimethylsiloxane under different lubricated conditions

Two kinds of polyurethane (PU) composites with different hard segment content modified by a high molecular weight hydroxyl‐terminated polydimethylsiloxane (HTPDMS) were prepared. The effect of the hard segment content on the mechanical and tribological properties of the PU composites was studied. Tensile strength of the PU composites increased with the increasing of the hard segment content. The friction and wear experiments were tested on a MRH‐3 model ring‐on‐block test rig at different sliding speeds and loads under different lubricated conditions. Experimental results revealed that the coefficient of friction (COF) and the wear rate value of the PU composites decreased with increasing hard segment content and the COF of the PU composites under dry friction was higher than that under water and sea water lubrication. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations showed that the worn surfaces of the PU under water and sea water lubrication were smoother than that under dry friction. Besides, the wear rate value of the PU composites under water and sea water lubrication was smaller than that under dry friction. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers     

芳纶浆粕增强丁腈橡胶复合材料的摩擦磨损性能

利用开炼机制备了丁腈橡胶(NBR)/芳纶浆粕(PPTA-pulp)复合材料。研究了在干摩擦和水润滑条件下,纤维含量、摩擦时间以及载荷对NBR/PPTA-pulp复合材料摩擦磨损性能的影响,并分析了磨损机理。结果表明,芳纶浆粕的加入能够很好地改善复合材料的力学性能和摩擦磨损性能,在相同条件下,当纤维质量分数为20%时,复合材料的综合性能最佳;在干摩擦条件下,随着摩擦时间延长,复合材料的摩擦系数下降,磨耗量增大;随着载荷增加,摩擦系数和磨耗量增大;水润滑条件下,复合材料的摩擦系数和磨耗量较干摩擦大幅度降低且比较稳定,时间和载荷对其影响很小;干摩擦时,复合材料的磨损机理主要为磨粒磨损和疲劳磨损;水润滑时,主要为轻微磨粒磨损。     

Mechanical and three‐body abrasive wear behaviour of SiC filled glass‐epoxy composites

Fiber/filler reinforced polymer composites are known to possess high strength and attractive wear resistance in dry sliding conditions. How these composites perform in abrasive wear situations needs a proper understanding. Hence, in this research article the mechanical and three‐body abrasive wear behaviour of E‐glass fabric reinforced epoxy (G‐E) and silicon carbide filled E‐glass fabric reinforced epoxy (SiC‐G‐E) composites are investigated. The mechanical properties were evaluated using Universal testing machine. Three‐body abrasive wear tests are conducted using rubber wheel abrasion tester wherein two different loads and four varying abrading distances are employed. The results showed that the wear volume loss is increased with increase in abrading distance and the specific wear rate decreased with increase in abrading distance/load. However, the presence of SiC particulate fillers in the G‐E composites showed a promising trend. The worn surface features, when examined through scanning electron microscopy, show higher levels of broken glass fiber in G‐E system compared to SiC‐ filled G‐E composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Fiber hybrid polyimide‐based composites reinforced with carbon fiber and poly‐p‐phenylene benzobisthiazole fiber: Tribological behaviors under sea water lubrication

Fiber hybrid polyimide‐based (PI‐based) composites reinforced with carbon fiber (CF) and poly‐p‐phenylene benzobisthiazole (PBO) fiber of different volume fractions were fabricated by means of hot press molding technique, and their mechanical properties and tribological behaviors under sea water lubrication were systematically investigated in relation to the synergism of CF and PBO fiber. Results showed that the incorporation of CF or PBO fiber improved the tensile strength, hardness, and wear resistance of PI. More importantly, because of the synergistic enhancement effect between CF and PBO fiber on PI matrix, the combination of 10%CF and 5%PBO fiber reinforced PI‐based composite had the best mechanical and tribological properties, showing promising application in ocean environment. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:1650–1658, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Friction and wear characteristics of fiber- and whisker-reinforced PTFE composites under oil lubricated conditions

Four kinds of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-based composites, such as pure PTFE, PTFE + 30(vol.)% carbon fiber, PTFE + 30(vol.)% glass fiber, and PTFE + 30(vol.)% K₂Ti₆O₁₃ whisker composite, were prepared. The friction and wear properties of these fiber- and whisker-reinforced PTFE composites sliding against GCr15-bearing steel (SAE52100 steel) under both dry and liquid paraffin lubricated conditions were studied by using an MHK-500 ring-block wear tester (Timken wear tester). Then the worn surfaces of these PTFE composites and the transfer films formed on the surface of GCr15-bearing steel were investigated by using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and an Optical Microscope, respectively. Experimental results show that the friction and wear properties of the PTFE composites reinforced with carbon fiber, glass fiber, and a K₂Ti₆O₁₃ whisker can be greatly improved by lubrication with liquid paraffin, and the friction coefficients of these PTFE composites can be decreased by one order of magnitude compared to those under dry friction conditions. Meanwhile, the wear of the fiber- and whisker-reinforced PTFE composites in liquid paraffin lubrication increases with the increase of load, but the friction coefficients of these PTFE composites first decrease with the increase of load, and then increase with the increase of load. The variations of friction coefficients with load for these PTFE composites in liquid paraffin lubrication can be described properly by the Stribeck's curve as given in this article. However, when the load increases to the load limits of the PTFE composites, their friction and wear increase sharply. SEM and optical microscope investigations show that the interactions between liquid paraffin and the PTFE composites, especially the absorption of liquid paraffin into the surface layers of the PTFE composites, create some obvious cracks on the worn surfaces of the PTFE composites. The creation and the development of the cracks reduce the load-carrying capacity of the PTFE composites, and therefore lead to the increase of the friction and wear of the PTFE composites under higher loads. Meanwhile, the transfer of the fiber- and whisker-reinforced PTFE composites onto the counterfaces can be greatly reduced by lubrication with liquid paraffin, but the transfer still takes place. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 69: 1393–1402, 1998     

Tribological behavior of three‐dimensional braided carbon fiber reinforced polyetheretherketone composites

Three‐dimensional (3D) braided carbon fiber reinforced polyetheretherketone (denoted as CF_3D/PEEK) composites with various fiber volume fractions were prepared via hybrid woven plus vacuum heat‐pressing technology and their tribological behaviors against steel counterpart with different normal loads at dry sliding were investigated. Contrast tribological tests with different lubricants (deionized water and sea water) and counterparts made from different materials (epoxy resin, PEEK) were also conducted. The results showed that the incorporation of 3D braided carbon fiber can greatly improve the tribological properties of PEEK over a certain range of carbon fiber volume fraction (V_f) and an optimum fiber loading of ∼54% exists. The friction coefficient of the CF_3D/PEEK composites decreased from 0.195 to 0.173, while the specific wear rate increased from 1.48 × 10⁻⁷ to 1.78 × 10⁻⁷ mm³ Nm⁻¹ with the normal load increasing from 50 to 150 N. Abrasive mechanism was dominated when the composites sliding with GCr15 steel counterpart under dry and aqueous lubrication conditions. Deionized water and sea water lubricants both significantly reduced the wear of the CF_3D/PEEK composites. When sliding with neat PEEK counterpart, the CF_3D/PEEK composites possess lower friction coefficient than those against epoxy resin and GCr15 steel counterparts. In general, CF_3D/PEEK composites possess excellent tribological properties and comprehensive mechanical performance, which makes it become a potential candidate for special heat‐resisting tribological components. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:2174–2183, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Friction and wear characteristics of metal sulfides and graphite‐filled PTFE composites under dry and oil‐lubricated conditions

Five kinds of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)‐based composites, pure PTFE, PTFE + 30(v)% MoS₂, PTFE + 30(v)% PbS, PTFE + 30(v)% CuS, and PTFE + 30(v)% graphite (GR) composites, were first prepared. Then the friction and wear properties of these PTFE composites, sliding against GCr15‐bearing steel under both dry and liquid paraffin‐lubricated conditions, were studied by using an MHK‐500 ring‐on‐block wear tester. Finally, the worn surfaces and the transfer films of the PTFE composites formed on the surface of GCr15 bearing steel were investigated by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an optical microscope, respectively. Experimental results show that filling with MoS₂, PbS, CuS, or graphite to PTFE can reduce the wear of the PTFE composites by two orders of magnitude compared to that of pure PTFE under dry friction conditions. However, the friction and wear‐reducing properties of these PTFE composites can be greatly improved by lubrication with liquid paraffin. Investigations of transfer films show that MoS₂, PbS, CuS, and graphite promote the transfer of the PTFE composites onto the surface of GCr15‐bearing steel under dry friction conditions, but the transfer of the PTFE composites onto the surface of GCr15‐bearing steel can be greatly reduced by lubrication with liquid paraffin. SEM examinations of worn surfaces show that with lubrication of liquid paraffin, the creation and development of the cracks occurred on the worn surfaces of the PTFE composites under load, which reduces the load‐supporting capacity of the PTFE composites. This would lead to the deterioration of the friction and wear properties of the PTFE composites under higher loads (>600N). © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 72: 751–761, 1999     

The effect of carbon fiber content on the friction and wear properties of carbon fiber reinforced polyimide composites

The current study examines the tribological performance of polyimide and carbon fiber reinforced polyimide (CF/PI) under dry sliding condition. Different contents of carbon fibers were employed as reinforcement. All filled and unfilled polyimide composites were tested against CGr15 ball and representative testing was performed. The effects of carbon fiber content on tribological properties of the composites were investigated. The worn surface morphologies of neat PI and its composites were examined by scanning electron microscopy and the wear mechanisms were discussed. Moreover, all filled polyimides have superior tribological characteristics to unfilled polyimides. The optimum wear reduction was obtained when the content of carbon fiber is 20 vol %. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Epoxy composite reinforced with three‐dimensional polyimide fiber felt: Fabrication and tribological properties investigation

Novel epoxy (EP) composite reinforced with three‐dimensional (3D) polyimide (PI) fiber felt (PI_3D/EP) is first fabricated by vacuum assisted resin transfer molding. The tribological behaviors of pure EP and PI_3D/EP composite under dry sliding and water lubricated condition are comparatively studied. Results indicate that both wear rates and friction coefficients of PI_3D/EP composite are lower than those of pure EP. The wear resistance of PI_3D/EP composite is 9.8 times higher than that of pure EP under dry sliding of 1.5 MPa and 0.76 m s^?1 while a 27‐fold increase is achieved under water lubricated condition. The wear mechanisms of PI_3D/EP composite are investigated based on tribological testing results and scanning electron microscopy observations. The PI fiber felt provides strong 3D structure supports to sustain most of the loads on the composite, improving the mechanical and tribological properties significantly. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 44160.     

Friction and wear properties of polyimide matrix composites reinforced with short basalt fibers

Short basalt fiber (BF) reinforced polyimide (PI) composites were fabricated by means of compression‐molding technique. The friction and wear properties of the resulting composites sliding against GCr15 steel were investigated on a model ring‐on‐block test rig under dry sliding conditions. The morphologies of the worn surfaces and the transfer films that formed on the counterpart steel rings were analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy. The influence of the short BF content, load, and sliding speed on the tribological behavior of the PI composites was examined. Experimental results revealed that the low incorporation of BFs could improve the tribological behavior of the PI composites remarkably. The friction coefficient and wear rate decreased with increases in the sliding speed and load, respectively. The transfer film that formed on the counterpart surface during the friction process made contributions to reducing the friction coefficient and wear rate of the BF‐reinforced PI composites. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Evaluation of tribological performance of surface‐treated carbon fiber‐reinforced thermoplastic polyimide composite

The effect of surface treatment [rare earth solution (RES) and air oxidation] of carbon fibers (CFs) on the mechanical and tribological properties of carbon fiber‐reinforced polyimide (CF/PI) composites was comparatively investigated. Experimental results revealed that surface treatment can effectively improve the interfacial adhesion between carbon fiber and PI matrix. Thus, the flexural strength and wear resistance were significantly improved. The RES surface treatment is superior to air oxidation treatment in promoting interfacial adhesion between carbon fiber and PI matrix. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008     

不同介质中聚四氟乙烯复合材料的摩擦磨损性能

分别在碱液、水、油和干摩擦条件下考察了碳纤维和玻璃纤维填充聚四氟乙烯复合材料的摩擦磨损性能。利用SEM观察了不同介质中磨损面和对摩面的形貌,并探讨了其磨损机理。结果表明,不同介质中摩擦系数的大小关系是μ干>μ水或油>μ碱,磨损率是W水>W干>W碱或油。水、碱和油都不同程度地阻止了转移膜的形成。碱液和油具有很好的冷却与润滑作用,摩擦系数低,磨损小;然而水分子降低了填料和基体的界面粘接强度,造成犁削和磨粒磨损加重。     

Friction and wear bahavior of short fiber-reinforced poly(amide-imide) composites

Tribological behavior of short fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites was investigated experimentally and theoretically. Short carbon fiber and glass fiber reinforced poly(amide-imide) composites were tested. Titanium oxide powder-filled composite was also tested for comparison with the fiber composites. Block-on-ring type wear testing was performed for 24 h at three different sliding conditions. Frictional force was measured and stored by a data acquisition system and wear was measured as weight loss after the test. Wear tracks on the specimen and the counterface were examined with an optical microscope to observe fiber damage and formation of wear film. The equivalent stress distribution around each fiber at the sliding surface was calculated by employing a finite element program. The lowest friction and wear was obtained for the carbon fiber composite, the highest friction for the glass fiber composite, and the highest wear for TiO₂-filled one. It was observed that the glass fibers are damaged and removed from the surface more easily than the carbon fibers, and the finite element analysis also suggests easier debonding of glass fibers.     

Thermo‐mechanical and tribological properties of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes filled friction composite materials

Multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) filled graphite lubricated phenolic‐based friction composites reinforced with combination of lapinus/Kevlar fibers have been fabricated and subsequently evaluated for their dynamic‐mechanical and tribological properties. The experimental results indicated that the higher MWCNT content enhances the thermal stability, whereas, lower MWCNT content enhances the thermo‐mechanical properties of the friction composites. The tribo‐performance evaluation has revealed that with the increase in MWCNT content, the friction‐fade and friction‐recovery performances are enhanced. The friction‐stability and friction‐variability coefficients are influenced by the combination of MWCNT, graphite, lapinus, and Kevlar constituents. The wear performance decreases with the increase in lapinus and MWCNT, whereas, it increases when the amount of Kevlar or graphite is increased in the composites. Wear surface morphological studies have led to the qualitative characterization of the topographical attributes and the nature of the frictional contact patches which is crucial in understanding the role of MWCNT on friction and wear mechanisms of the investigated automotive brake friction materials. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:1183–1193, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Investigation on mechanical and tribological behavior of naturally woven coconut sheath‐reinforced polymer composites

The article presents the results of experimental investigation on mechanical and dry sliding wear behavior of unsaturated polyester resin (USP), reinforced with naturally woven coconut sheath and glass fibers. The mechanical properties of coconut sheath (N) and glass fiber (G) reinforced polyester composites were studied, and the tribological behaviors were tested on pin‐on‐disc sliding wear tester. Mass loss was determined as a function of sliding distance for a sliding velocity of 3.5 m/s and an applied normal load of 40 N. The experimental result revealed that the mechanical properties and wear resistance of the composites depend on the wt% reinforcement of coconut sheath/glass fiber and sliding distance. The hybrid reinforcement (GGN) greatly increased the mechanical properties of USP. At lower sliding distance, the N‐reinforced USP had lower wear loss, whereas at higher sliding distance, the hybrid fiber‐reinforced (GGN) USP composite had lower wear loss. Furthermore, the work showed that the higher sliding distance bring about changes in the worn surface features such as interface separation, inclined fracture of fibers, loss of matrix, and the appearance of debris with the two different fibers. The worn surfaces were also examined by scanning electron microscopy. The study showed differing trends with load for the two types of reinforcements. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Taguchi method to optimize the micron and submicron size cenosphere particulates filled E‐glass fiber‐reinforced vinylester composites

In this work, the mechanical and tribological characteristics of E‐glass fiber‐reinforced vinylester composites have been investigated experimentally under dry sliding conditions. The E‐glass fiber‐reinforced vinylester composites with uniform micron and submicron size cenosphere particulates of three different sizes (2 µm, 900 nm, and 400 nm) had been prepared in the laboratory. In this work the effect of parameters such as applied normal load, particulate size, sliding speed, sliding distance and roughness on friction and wear behavior have been carried. A plan of experiments, based on the Taguchi design, was performed to acquire data in a controlled way. An orthogonal array L₂₇ (3¹³) and Analysis of variance (ANOVA) have been applied to investigate the influence of process parameters on the coefficient of friction (COF) and sliding wear behavior of these composites. It was found that the submicron size particulates 400 nm as filler contributed significantly to improve the mechanical properties and wear resistance of the composites. The experimental results indicate that the specific wear rate is greatly influenced by applied normal load and particle size. ANOVA results showed that the applied normal load significantly influence the specific wear rate of cenosphere filled glass fiber‐reinforced vinylester composites. Regression analysis is carried to check the suitability of the prediction equation and modeling of the wear parameters and the typical R² values for COF and specific wear rate are 86.7 and 94.3%, respectively. The scanning electron microscopy are used clarify the experimental in the frictional and wear testing. POLYM. COMPOS., 35:775–787, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Surface modification of carbon fiber and its effects on the mechanical and tribological properties of the polyurethane composites

To improve the friction and wear behavior of the polyurethane composites, carbon fibers were modified with 2, 4‐diisocyanatotoluene. The mechanical and tribological properties of the reinforced polyurethane composites were studied. Tensile strength of the composites increased with the addition of carbon fibers. The friction and wear experiments were tested on a MRH‐3 model ring‐on‐block test rig at different sliding speeds and loads under dry sliding. Experimental results revealed that carbon fibers with chemical treatment contributed to largely improve the tribological properties of the polyurethane composites. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) investigations showed that the worn surface of the modified polyurethane composite was smoother than pure polyurethane under given load and sliding speed. POLYM. COMPOS., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers