Abstract
Abstract The mechanical and tribological properties of epoxy composites modified with microencapsulated wax lubricant and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were investigated. The increased soft microcapsules embedded in the epoxy matrices were responsible for the reduced micro-hardness and Young’s modulus of the epoxy composites. It was found that the friction of the epoxy composites greatly decreased with increased microcapsule content due to combined lubricating effects of the both wax lubricant and MWCNTs. As a result, the wear of the epoxy composites apparently decreased with increased microcapsule content.
Highlights
Fibre reinforcements and solid or liquid lubricants are frequently applied to improve the wear resistance of polymers
The increased content of microcapsules in the epoxy composites from 0.5 to 5 wt% decreases the hardness and Young’s modulus of the composites from about 177.8 MPa and 2.2 GPa to about 113 MPa and 1.5 GPa, respectively, which is a direct consequence of the lower hardness and elastic modulus of the microcapsules with respect to those of the epoxy matrix [23, 24]
The mechanical and tribological properties of epoxy composites modified with microcapsules containing a mixture of a wax lubricant and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were investigated with respect to microcapsule content
Summary
Fibre reinforcements and solid or liquid lubricants are frequently applied to improve the wear resistance of polymers. Fibre reinforcements, such as carbon and glass fibres, in polymer matrices enhance the wear resistance of the polymer composites (PCs) by improving their mechanical strength [1−4]. Solid lubricants, such as graphite and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), reduce the wear of PCs by developing a transfer film between two rubbing surfaces [5−7]. Solid additives cannot always give desired tribological properties of PCs. Wang and co-workers [8] reported that the use of liquid paraffin during tribological test improved the wear resistance of epoxy composites by reducing the friction of the composites. The microcapsule content was varied from 0.5 to 5 wt% to investigate the tribological properties of the epoxy composites with respect to microcapsule content
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