Tribological Behavior of Carbon-Nanotube-Filled PTFE Composites

Carbon nanotube/polytetrafluoroethylene (CNT/PTFE) composites with different volume fractions were prepared and their friction and wear properties were investigated using a ring-on-block under dry conditions. It was found that CNTs signifi-cantly increased the wear resistance of PTFE composites and decreased their coefficient of friction. PTFE composites with 15–20 vol.% CNTs exhibited very high wear resistance. The significant improvements in the tribological properties of CNT/PTFE composites are attributed to the super-strong mechanical properties and the very high aspect ratio of CNTs. The CNTs greatly reinforce the structure of the PTFE-based composites and thereby greatly reduce the adhesive and plough wear of CNT/PTFE composites. The CNTs are released from the composite during sliding and transferred to the interface of the friction couples. They thus serve as spacers, preventing direct contact between the mating surfaces and thereby reducing both wear rate and friction coefficient.     

The friction and wear of electroless Ni–P matrix with PTFE and/or SiC particles composite

In this paper, the friction behaviour and wear mechanism of electroless Ni–P matrix with PTFE and/or SiC particles composite coating are investigated by virtue of ring-on-disk wear machine at a high load of 150 N. The worn surface, wear debris and the composition changes after wear were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDAX). By comparison with Ni–P and Ni–P–SiC coatings, the results indicated that the combination of a PTFE-rich mechanical mixed layer (PRMML) formed on the worn surface and hard SiC were responsible for the good tribological properties of the hybrid Ni–P–PTFE–SiC composites at high load. After heat treatment at 400 °C for 1 h, the wear rate of Ni–P matrix composites decreased with corresponding increase in microhardness. During sliding, an obvious decrease in the temperature rise with PTFE addition was attributed to the good anti-friction of PTFE.     

Tribological behaviour of PTFE modified cotton polyester composites

Abstract

An attempt on modification of tribological behaviour of cotton polyester composite was done with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). PTFE modified polyester–cotton composites were developed and studied for their friction and sliding wear behaviour at different applied loads. The sliding wear tests of composites were conducted against EN-31 steel counter face. The coefficient of friction μ as well as the sliding wear rate of cotton–polyester composites reduced significantly on addition of PTFE. The reduction in wear rate of PTFE modified polyester–cotton composite has been discussed with the help of SEM observations of worn surfaces and coefficient of friction.     

A study on friction and wear characteristics of nanometer Al2O3 /PEEK composites under the dry sliding condition

The friction and wear properties of the polyetheretherketone (PEEK) based composites filled with 5 mass% nanometer or micron Al₂O₃ with or without 10 mass% polytetrafluroethylene (PTFE) against the medium carbon steel (AISI 1045 steel) ring under the dry sliding condition at Amsler wear tester were examined. A constant sliding velocity of 0.42 m s⁻¹ and a load of 196 N were used in all experiments. The average diameter 250 μm PEEK powders, the 15 or 90 nm Al₂O₃ nano-particles or 500 nm Al₂O₃ particles and/or the PTFE fine powders of diameter 50 μm were mechanically mixed in alcohol, and then the block composite specimens were prepared by the heat compression moulding. The homogeneously dispersion of the Al₂O₃ nano-particles in PEEK matrix of the prepared composites was analyzed by the atomic force microscopy (AFM). The wear testing results showed that nanometer and micron Al₂O₃ reduced the wear coefficient of PEEK composites without PTFE effectively, but not reduced the friction coefficient. The filling of 10 mass% PTFE into pure PEEK resulted in a decrease of the friction coefficient and the wear coefficient of the filled composite simultaneously. However, when 10 mass% PTFE was filled into Al₂O₃/ PEEK composites, the friction coefficient was decreased and the wear coefficient increased. The worn scars on the tested composite specimen surfaces and steel ring surfaces were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A thin, uniform, and tenacious transferred film on the surface of the steel rings against the PEEK composites filled with 5 mass% 15 nm Al₂O₃ particles but without PTFE was formed. The components of the transferred films were detected by energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). The results indicated that the nanometer Al₂O₃ as the filler, together with PEEK matrix, transferred to the counterpart ring surface during the sliding friction and wear. Therefore, the ability of Al₂O₃ to improve the wear resistant behaviors is closely related to the ability to improve the characteristics of the transfer film.     

Tribological Behavior of Micrometer- and Submicrometer-Size Cenosphere Particulate-Filled Glass Fiber–Reinforced Vinylester Composites Under Dry and Water-Lubricated Sliding Conditions

In this work, the tribological behavior of micrometer and submicrometer cenosphere particulate–filled E-glass fiber–reinforced vinylester composites have been investigated on a pin-on-disc tester under dry sliding and water-lubricated sliding conditions. Three different uniform sizes of cenosphere particles (2 μm, 900 nm, 400 nm) were used as fillers in the glass fiber–reinforced vinylester composites. The weight fraction of cenosphere particles has been varied in the ranges from 5, 10, 15, to 20 wt%. The experimental results show that all of the composites exhibited lower coefficient of friction and lower wear resistance under water-lubricated sliding conditions than under dry sliding. It has been noted that the submicrometer size (400 nm) cenosphere particulates as fillers contributed significantly to improve the wear resistance. It has also been noted that 10 wt% of the cenosphere particles is the most effective in reducing the wear rate and coefficient of friction. Effects of various wear parameters such as applied normal loads, sliding speeds, particle size, and particle content on the tribological behavior were also discussed. In order to understand the wear mechanism, the morphologies of the worn surface were analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for composite specimens under both dry and water-lubricated sliding conditions.     

Dry Sliding Friction and Wear Characteristics of Cu-Sn Alloy Containing Molybdenum Disulfide

The wear and sliding friction response of a hybrid copper metal matrix composite reinforced with 10 wt% of tin (Sn) and soft solid lubricant (1, 5, and 7 wt% of MoS₂) fabricated by a powder metallurgy route was investigated. The influence of the percentages of reinforcement, load, sliding speed, and sliding distance on both the wear and friction coefficient were studied. The wear test with an experimental plan of six loads (5–30 N) and five sliding speeds (0.5–2.5 m/s) was conducted on a pin-on-disc machine to record loss in mass due to wear for two total sliding distances of 1,000 and 2,000 m. The results showed that the specific wear rate of the composites increased at room temperature with sliding distance and decreased with load. The wear resistance of the hybrid composite containing 7 wt% MoS₂ was superior to that of the other composites. It was also observed that the specific wear rates of the composites decreased with the addition of MoS₂. The 7 wt% MoS₂ composites exhibited a very low coefficient of friction of 0.35. The hardness of the composite increased as the weight percentage of MoS₂ increased. The wear and friction coefficient were mainly influenced by both the percentage of reinforcement and the load applied. Wear morphology was also studied using scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis.     

Hot wear properties of ceramic and basalt fiber reinforced hybrid friction materials

In the present study, hybrid friction materials were manufactured using ceramic and basalt fibers. Ceramic fiber content was kept constant at 10 vol% and basalt fiber content was changed between 0 to 40 vol%. Mechanical properties and friction and wear characteristics of friction materials were determined using a pin-on-disc type apparatus against a cast iron counterface in the sliding speeds of 3.2–12.8 m/s, disc temperature of 100–350 °C and applied loads of 312.5–625 N. The worn surfaces of the specimens were examined by SEM. Experiments show that fiber content has a significant influence on the mechanical and tribological properties of the composites. The friction coefficient of the hybrid friction materials was increased with increasing additional basalt fiber content. But the specific wear rates of the composites decreased up to 30 vol% fiber content and then increased again above this value. The wear tests showed that the coefficient of friction decreases with increasing load and speed but increases with increasing disc temperature up to 300 °C. The most important factor effecting wear rate was the disc temperature followed by sliding speed. The materials showing higher specific wear rates gave relatively coarser wear particles. XRD studies showed that Fe and Fe₂O₃ were present in wear debris at severe wear conditions which is indicating the disc wear.     

Tribological Properties of PTFE and PTFE Composites at Different Temperatures

The friction and wear properties of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and its composites with fillers such as bronze, glass fiber, carbon fiber, carbon, graphite, and polymer were studied at ambient temperature and high temperature. The wear resistance and hardness were enhanced by the fillers. Results showed that the wear resistance of all composites was much higher than that of pure PTFE. Pure PTFE has the lowest friction coefficient at ambient temperature (temperature: 23 ± 2°C, humidity: 50 ± 10%) but highest friction coefficient at high temperature (above 100°C). The PTFE composite filled with bronze showed the best wear resistance at ambient temperature but the poorest wear resistance at high temperature. The carbon-graphite- or polymer-filled PTFE composite showed a lower friction coefficient and moderate wear resistance at both ambient and high temperature.     

Tribo-investigation on PTFE lubricated PEEK in harsh operating conditions

A series of blends with Polytetrafluroethylene (PTFE) powder and Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) was developed by varying the PTFE contents in steps of 5 wt.% from 0 to 20 wt.%. The composites were evaluated for their friction and wear properties at room temperature as well as high temperature in low amplitude oscillating wear (LAOW) mode against steel (100 Cr 6) ball against polymer plate. The same blends were also evaluated in abrasive wear mode to study the influence of harsh operating conditions on wear and friction performance. Incorporation of PTFE benefited PEEK in various ways such as it increased the tribo-utility of the latter by increasing its limiting load value, removing its stick-slip tendency, lowering coefficient of friction and specific wear rate significantly. With increase in PTFE content, benefits to the wear performance increased regularly. This was not the case for friction coefficient. Lowest μ was recorded for 15% PTFE contents. The enhancement in wear and friction performance, however, was at the cost of strength properties which decreased substantially with increase in PTFE content. At 100 °C, friction coefficient and wear rates of all blends increased marginally. In abrasive wear mode, on the other hand, PTFE filled PEEK showed poorer wear resistance than neat PEEK. This was correlated with strength properties and it was observed that these blends closely followed the predictions of Ratner–Lancaster plot. SEM was used to examine the micro-structural features of worn surfaces.     

The tribological properties of PTFE filled with thermally treated nano-attapulgite

The nano-attapulgite powder was treated by heating at 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700 and 800 °C for 2 h in a muffle furnace. PTFE composites were prepared by compression molding PTFE and thermally treated nano-attapulgite. The friction and wear tests were performed on a block-on-ring wear tester. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectrometer (EDS) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) were utilized to investigate material microstructures and examine modes of failure. Experimental results showed that under all experimental conditions there was no significant change in coefficient of friction, but the wear rate of PTFE composites was orders of magnitude less than that of pure PTFE under same experimental conditions. Moreover, thermally treated attapulgite was superior to untreated attapulgite in enhancing the wear resistance of PTFE. In addition, the wear resistance increased monotonically with increasing treated attapulgite concentration. Hardness analysis revealed the hardness of PTFE composites increased with increasing content of treated attapulgite. Investigation of transfer film and analysis of debris for PTFE and its composites showed that thermally treated nano-attapulgite filled to PTFE could facilitate formation of transfer film on the steel ring surface and inhibit breakage of PTFE molecular chain. The composites with higher heat absorption capacity exhibited improved wear resistance. Furthermore, the steel ring counterface abrasion was not found.     

Effects of Zinc Borate and Fly Ash on the Mechanical and Tribological Characteristics of Brake Friction Materials

Friction materials based on several combinations of zinc borate (ZB) and fly ash (FA) were fabricated and characterized for their mechanical and tribological performance. The triboperformance of the friction materials was evaluated on a Chase friction testing machine according to the brake lining quality test procedure as per SAE J661. The composites were manufactured based on a nonasbestos organic-based friction material for an automotive brake system and contained typical ingredients for commercial brake friction materials. The composites had a fixed composition of 15 wt% resin, 15 wt% fibers, and 5 wt% friction additives. ZB and FA as fillers were added to the the raw materials mixture at a total fraction of 65 wt%. The results showed that ZB and FA contents have a significant influence on the mechanical and tribological properties of the friction composites. In particular, the composites containing 0–5 wt% ZB and 65–60 wt% FA showed better friction stability and improved fade resistance compared to those containing 10–35 wt% ZB and 55–30 wt% FA, whereas the composite with 5 wt% ZB and 60 wt% FA showed a maximum friction coefficient. On the other hand, the specific wear rate of the composites decreased with increasing ZB and decreasing FA contents. The morphologies of the worn surfaces as well as wear debris were analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy.     

Dry sliding wear behaviour of cast high strength aluminium alloy (Al–Zn–Mg) and hard particle composites

This paper describes the results of dry sliding wear tests of aluminium alloy (Al–Zn–Mg) and aluminium (Al–Zn–Mg)–10, 15 and 25 wt.% SiCp composite was examined under varying applied pressure (0.2 to 2.0 MPa) at a fixed sliding speed of 3.35 m/s. The sliding wear behaviour was studied using pin-on-disc apparatus against EN32 steel counter surface, giving emphasis on the parameters such as coefficient of friction, rise in temperature, wear and seizure resistance as a function of sliding distance and applied pressure. It was observed that the wear rate of the alloy was noted to be significantly higher than that of the composite and is suppressed further due to addition of silicon carbide particles. The temperature rise near the contacting surfaces and the coefficient of friction followed reversed trend. Detailed studies of wear surfaces and subsurface deformation have been carried out. The wear mechanism was studied through worn surfaces and microscopic examination of the developed wear tracks. The wear mechanism strongly dictated by the formation and stability of oxide layer, mechanically mixed layer (MML) and subsurface deformation and cracking. The overall results indicate that the aluminium alloy–silicon carbide particle composite could be considered as an excellent material where high strength and wear resistance are of prime importance.     

Wear behaviour of Al/(Al2O3p+SiCp) hybrid composites

In this study, dry sliding metal–metal and metal–abrasive wear behaviours of the aluminium matrix hybrid composites produced by pressure infiltration technique were investigated. These composites were reinforced with 37 vol% Al₂O₃ and 25 vol% SiC particles and contained up to 8 wt% Mg in their matrixes. While matrix hardness and compression strength increased, amount of porosity and impact toughness decreased with increasing Mg content of the matrix. Metal–metal and metal–abrasive wear tests revealed that wear resistance of the composites increased with increasing Mg addition. On the other hand, abrasive resistance decreased with increasing test temperature, especially above 200 °C.     

Influence of Internal Lubricants (PTFE and Silicon Oil) in Short Carbon Fibre-Reinforced Polyimide Composites on Performance Properties

Short carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastic polyimides (30 wt%) often show high and unstable coefficients of friction. In this study, the effects of internal lubrication by polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) (15 wt%) or silicon oil (15 wt%) have been investigated using a reciprocating cylinder-on-plate test under 50–100 N normal loads and 0.3–1.2 m/s sliding velocities. The sliding mechanisms are discussed by considering mechanical and thermochemical modifications. The PTFE additives provide lowest coefficients of friction completely stabilising after a transition from mechanically into thermally controlled sliding at 120 °C. The sliding mechanisms and homogeneous transfer films are mainly controlled by plasticisation rather than easy-shear of its lamellar structure that is hindered by fibre reinforcement. Thermoplastic lubricants decrease the mechanical strength and therefore cause deformation and highest wear rates under 200 N. Internal oil lubricants do not reduce coefficients of friction at mild to intermediate normal loads and sliding velocities, while they become most efficient at severe sliding conditions, augmenting the pv-limit. While coefficients of friction match uniquely to the pv-conditions, the wear rates are mainly influenced by the load level: the lowest wear rates are provided by PTFE at low to intermediate pv-conditions and by oil lubricants under high normal loads.     

Effect of fiber orientation on friction and wear of fiber reinforced polymeric composites

The friction and wear behavior of composites (i.e. uniaxially oriented graphite fiber-epoxy, Kevlar fiber-epoxy and biaxially oriented glass fiber-MoS₂-polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)) was investigated as a function of varying fiber orientations with respect to the sliding direction. In graphite fiber-epoxy composites, both wear and friction coefficients were minimum when the orientation of the fibers was normal to the sliding surface. In Kevlar-epoxy composites when the fibers were oriented normal to the surface and the sliding direction, the wear rate was also minimum but the friction coefficient was the highest. In glass fiber-MoS₂-PTFE composites wear was minimum when the largest fraction of fibers was oriented normal to the sliding surface.     

Break-away friction of PTFE materials in lubricated conditions

This study investigates the tribological characteristics at initiation of sliding (break-away friction) of several polytetrafluoroethylene based materials. Four PTFE composites, pure PTFE, and white metal were tested in a reciprocating tribo-meter with the block on plate configuration against a steel counter-surface. Apparent contact pressure and oil temperature were varied from 1 to 8 MPa and 25 to 85 °C respectively. SEM investigations revealed wear patterns of the PTFE materials and the abrasive nature of hard fillers.Bronze filled, carbon filled, and pure PTFE were found to provide lower break-away friction and less variation over the course of testing and generally superior properties.     

Friction and wear of carbon nanohorn-containing polyimide composites

Polyimide (PI)-based composites containing single-wall carbon nanohorn aggregate (NH) were fabricated using the spark plasma sintering (SPS) process. For comparison, composites with carbon nanotube (NT) and traditional graphite (Gr) were also fabricated. The NH was produced using CO₂ laser vaporization and a graphite target and the NT was produced by a chemical synthesis method. We evaluated the friction and wear properties of the PI-based composites with a reciprocating friction tester in air using an AISI 304 mating ball. NH drastically decreased the wear of PI-based composites; the specific wear rate of composite with NH of only 5 wt% was of the order of 10⁻⁸ mm³/Nm, which was two orders of magnitude less than that of PI alone. The wear reduction ability of NT seemed to be slightly inferior to that of NH, although it was considerably better than that of Gr. NH and NT lowered the friction of composites. The friction coefficient of composite with 10 wt% NH was less than 0.25, although it was slightly higher than that of composite with 10 wt% Gr. There was no clear difference in the friction reduction effect of NH and NT. The further addition of Gr to composites with NH or NT rather deteriorated the antiwear property of composites, although the friction coefficient was slightly reduced. The transferred materials existed on the friction surface of the mating ball, sliding against composites with three types of carbon filler. These transferred materials seemed to correlate with the low friction and wear properties of composites.     

PTFE基复合材料海水润滑下的摩擦学性能研究

研究碳纤维/聚四氟乙烯（CF/PTFE）、玻璃纤维/聚四氟乙烯（GF/PTFE）复合材料与氮化硅陶瓷配副在海水环境下的摩擦学性能与润滑机制,分析滑动速度对摩擦副海水润滑性能的影响规律。结果表明：在海水润滑条件下,随着滑动速度的增加,PTFE、CF/PTFE、GF/PTFE材料与Si3N4陶瓷配副时的摩擦学性能均有明显改善,摩擦因数与磨损率均呈显著降低的趋势,其中CF/PTFE复合材料表现出更为优异的摩擦学性能,在1 000 r/min滑动速度下摩擦因数低至0.026。磨损表面表征结果表明,在海水润滑条件下,PTFE基复合材料在摩擦过程中由于摩擦化学反应生成了润滑膜,可为摩擦副提供良好的润滑和减磨作用,从而减少摩擦磨损行为的发生。     

Impact of Viscoelasticity on the Tribological Behavior of PTFE Composites for Valve Seals Application

In this article, we studied and explored the impact of viscoelasticity on the friction and wear behavior of pure polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), carbon–graphite PTFE composite, and glass fiber–MoS₂ PTFE composite. Tests were carried out using a specific reciprocating tribometer for valve seal application. The worn surfaces of the PTFE composites and the transfer films formed on the counterface were examined with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Experimental results revealed that the addition of filler materials was effective in reducing the wear volume in all composites studied. In addition, the friction coefficient and wear resistance showed high sensitivity to the viscoelastic behavior of the PTFE seal. SEM investigation showed that the incorporation of particulate fillers into the PTFE matrix could dramatically reduce and stabilize the transfer films to the counterface, so they largely decreased the wear of the PTFE composites.     

Novel polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composites with newly developed Tribaloy alloy additive for sliding bearings

A group of novel polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-based composite materials are developed for sliding bearing applications. The reinforcements include the newly developed T-401 Tribaloy alloy, which possesses better ductility compared to conventional Tribaloy alloys, spherical bronze particles, chopped carbon fibers and milled graphite. The specimens are fabricated with the compression moulding technique under different preforming and sintering cycles. The mechanical and tribological properties as well as corrosion resistance of the new composites are investigated. It is demonstrated that these properties are influenced by the type of fillers and the content level of fillers. The wear resistances of all the developed PTFE composites are much higher than that of pure PTFE with very low coefficients of friction. Among the developed composites, the mixture of 40% PTFE + 15% T-401 + 45% bronze exhibits the best combination of properties.