Preparation and Tribological Study of Graphene Coating on Glass Fiber-Reinforced Composite Using Modified Percolating-Assisted Resin Film Infusion Method.

Ben Wang,Yansong Zhu,Wei Han,Hongxiao Wang,Yueke Ming,Xiaohui Zhang,Yugang Duan,Hongying Zhao

doi:10.3390/ma13040851

Abstract

Tribological properties of glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites used in reciprocating contact should be improved to secure the efficiency and safety because of risks of abrasion, adhesion, and fatigue deficiency amidst fiber, matrix, or interphase. This paper investigates the influence of graphene reinforcement on the wear resistance of a GFRP composite. Graphene was integrated into a typical GFRP composite as the surface coating using a modified resin film infusion method with the percolating paper assisted. Dry reciprocating sliding tests were performed against a stainless steel ball moving in a direction 45 degrees to the fiber orientation. The morphology of the worn surface was observed, and the corresponding wear mechanisms are discussed. Results suggest that the prepared graphene coating improves the wear resistance of the GFRP composite. The protected GFRP laminates remained intact during the first 20 min of the wear test and only a small fraction of fibers were broken after 60 min test. Furthermore, abrasive debris and fiber breaks originating from composite were markedly reduced, likely owing to the formation of a protective transfer film between the surface of the modified composite and the rubbing counterpart.

Highlights

Glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites are one of the most rapidly growing classes of material, owing to the combination of high specific strength and high specific modulus
This paper investigated the influence of graphene reinforcement on the wear resistance of a glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite
In addition to the high-quality transfer film, the graphene coating produced a much greater pinning effect, compared to the buckypaper coating, by infusing graphene into the fibrous medium, further improving antiwear performance (Figure 14d). The results of this investigation demonstrate a feasible approach for improving the wear resistance of GFRP

Summary

Introduction

Glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites are one of the most rapidly growing classes of material, owing to the combination of high specific strength and high specific modulus. Glass fiber reinforcement offers better mechanical and thermal performance, poor chemical activity of fiber surface contributes to deteriorate the interphase of composite in the sliding abrasion process, which leads to the insufficient tribological performance. According to a recent tribological survey, abrasive wear is responsible for the largest amount of material loss in industrial applications [3]. Friction can cause brittle glass fibers to rupture, leading to debris on the worn surface. Owing to the insufficient lubrication, these hard debris act as Materials 2020, 13, 851; doi:10.3390/ma13040851 www.mdpi.com/journal/materials

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