Abstract
Friction and wear of polymers at the nanoscale is a challenging problem due to the complex viscoelastic properties and structure. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate how a graphene sheet on top of the semicrystalline polymer polyvinyl alcohol affects the friction and wear. Our setup is meant to resemble an AFM experiment with a silicon tip. We have used two different graphene sheets, namely an unstrained, flat sheet, and one that has been crumpled before being deposited on the polymer. The graphene protects the top layer of the polymer from wear and reduces the friction. The unstrained flat graphene is stiffer, and we find that it constrains the polymer chains and reduces the indentation depth.
Highlights
Graphene is a two dimensional material that has remarkable properties, both electronic [1,2] and mechanical [3,4]
We aim to develop our understanding of the frictional behavior of a polymer coated with graphene by using molecular dynamics simulations of a single sliding asperity at the nanoscale
We investigate the effect on friction and wear of a graphene coating on a polymer by simulating friction force microscopy experiments with molecular dynamics
Summary
Graphene is a two dimensional material that has remarkable properties, both electronic [1,2] and mechanical [3,4]. During the last few decades, with the development of the atomic force microscope [8] and increases in computing power, it has become possible to investigate more deeply and develop an understanding of the mechanisms that play a role in the friction of graphene [5,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19]. The effect of graphene coatings and their ability to protect against wear depend on the substrate underneath. They have been studied almost exclusively on metals [20,21]
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