Mechanical and tribological characterization of polyamide 66/graphite nanocomposites

Abstract

Polymer nanocomposites can be employed in diverse engineering applications where wear is a critical concern. Understanding the mechanical and wear properties as applied to polymer nanocomposites is crucial for comprehending the behaviour of workpieces. In this study, three types of nanographites were incorporated at a concentration of 2.5 wt% into a polyamide 6.6 matrix. The graphites differ owing its production process. Tests of wear, impact, and elastic deformation resistance, hardness, and morphology were conducted to evaluate the performance of the PA66/graphite nanocomposites. All nanocomposites exhibit a homogeneous morphology with good dispersion, distribution, and orientation of the nanographites in the matrix, suggesting the effectiveness of the processing methods employed. The incorporation of 2.5 wt% of nanographites A, B, and C improved the wear resistance of PA66 by 52%, 74%, and 44%, respectively. The PA66/graphite nanocomposites exhibited an increase in Shore D hardness up to 2.8%, and in elastic modulus between 8.3% and 13.0%. The impact resistance of the nanocomposites decreased by 15.4%–21.3%. The results revealed that the production process of the nanographites impacted the performance of the produced nanocomposites.