Effect of filling materials on the tribological performance of polytetrafluoroethylene in different wear modes

Abstract

AbstractAs it is known, Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is one of the most preferred polymeric materials for tribological applications. This study investigates the performance of PTFE and its composites under different tribological conditions. The effects of short glass fiber (GF), carbon particle (CP) and bronze particle (BP) reinforcement agents and their hybrid filling with molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) on sliding, erosive and abrasive wear were examined. Sliding tests were carried out with a ball‐on‐disc test apparatus, erosive wear tests were carried out with solid particle erosion and abrasive wear tests were carried out with a scratch test. It has been found that reinforcement agents improve sliding and abrasive wear resistance but worsen the erosion resistance. The hardness and contact angle of the samples were associated with their wear performances. Topographic and morphological analyzes of worn surfaces were performed using optical profilometer and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively, and wear mechanisms were discussed.Highlights Filling materials (glass fiber, carbon particle and bronze particle) increase the adhesion and abrasion resistance of PTFE, while decreasing its erosion resistance. The effect of hybrid addition of MoS2 solid lubricant on wear performances depends on the type of filler. There is a correlation between surface properties (hardness and contact angle) and wear performances. Optical profilometer and scanning electron microscopy were used to examine wear mechanisms.