Effect of carbon and basalt fibers with ultrafine PTFE on the mechanical and tribological properties of polytetrafluoroethylene

Abstract

The effect of applying combined fillers containing carbon and basalt fibers on the mechanical and tribological properties of ultrafine polytetrafluoroethylene (UPTFE) is studied. It is shown that the introduction of combined fillers in PTFE improves compressive strength by 52-76% relative to the original polymer. The results of tribological studies have shown that polymer composite materials (PCMs) containing mechanically activated basalt fibers have high wear resistance compared to samples without mechanical activation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows that secondary protective structures formed on the worn surface contribute to an increase in the wear resistance of polymer composites material with mechanically activated basalt fiber, which is not observed in other composites. The developed materials can be used as materials for sealing devices and parts of friction units due to the low friction coefficient and high wear resistance.