Hybridization of Polytetrafluorethylene Fibers and Multiscale Short Carbon Fibers to Significantly Improve the Tribological Performance of Polyphenylene Sulfide

Abstract

Multiscale carbon‐based hybrids are obtained by decorating either graphene oxide (GO) or carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the surface of short carbon fibers (SCFs) via a facile layer‐by‐layer self‐assembly process. Hybridization of polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) fibers and multiscale SCF hybrids is used to improve the tribological properties of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS)‐based composites. Results show that the presence of multiscale SCF hybrids can significantly enhance the compatibility between the host matrix and fillers. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations reveal that the construction of an interlocking network structure formed by PTFE fiber and multiscale SCF hybrids is likely the contributing factor, which leads to better tribological properties of the resulting composites. The PPS/PTFE/SCF@GO20 composite exhibits the best tribological performance, with a friction coefficient of 0.165 and specific wear rate of 3.12 × 10−5 mm3 Nm−1, which are ≈73.6% and 99.6% lower than those of pure PPS, respectively.