Abstract
The purpose of this study is to improve the mechanical durability and surface frictional characteristics of polymer/ceramic-based composite materials. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/glass bubble (GB) composite specimens are prepared at various weight ratios (PDMS:GB) by varying the amount of micro-sized GBs added to the PDMS. The surface, mechanical, and tribological characteristics of the PDMS/GB composites are evaluated according to the added ratios of GBs. The changes in internal stress according to the indentation depth after contacting with a steel ball tip to the bare PDMS and PDMS/GB composites having different GB densities are compared through finite element analysis simulation. The elastic modulus is proportional to the GB content, while the friction coefficient generally decreases as the GB content increases. A smaller amount of GB in the PDMS/GB composite results in more surface damage than the bare PDMS, but a significant reduction in wear rate is achieved when the ratio of PDMS:GB is greater than 100:5.
Highlights
Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is biofriendly with properties similar to those of the human flesh and skin, but it is highly plasticized and affordable [1]
The surface of bare PDMS is smooth, while the surfaces of PDMS/glass bubble (GB) composites are uneven by GBs
No significant difference was observed in the contact angle of water droplets of the PDMS/GB composites with different added amounts of GBs; the surface roughness and the elastic modulus increased with the content of GBs
Summary
Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is biofriendly with properties similar to those of the human flesh and skin, but it is highly plasticized and affordable [1]. It is used as a substrate and a surface protection coating material for advanced parts, such as electrodes, displays, MEMS, electrical parts, optical devices, and medical devices [2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. It is known that polymeric materials such as PDMS, epoxy, and polyurethane are significantly affected by experimental conditions such as vertical loads, sliding speed/distance/cycles, and curing conditions [9,10,11,12,13]. It has been reported that the friction and wear characteristics differed depending on the vertical load or the stiffness of the specimen [12]
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