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