The sustainable recycling of polyvinylidene fluoride membrane for tribological application

Abstract

AbstractIn the study, the waste polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes were recovered and the obtained resin powders by a solvent recovery method were employed for the fabrication of a novel PVDF‐based tribological composite. Herein, a new strategy was developed for applying the waste PVDF membranes to fabricate a self‐lubricant composite, where the recycled PVDF powders acted as the polymer matrix and microcapsules with the configuration of polysulfone (PSF) capsuling lubricant oil (PAO) served as the filler. The morphologies, crystal phases, chemical components and groups as well as thermal stabilities of fabricated PAO@PSF/PVDF composites were characterized, and the self‐lubricating and wear properties of fabricated composites were tested under the dry sliding condition using a ball‐on‐disc configuration. Experimental results suggest that the PAO@PSF/PVDF composite with an addition of 20 wt% PAO@PSF microcapsules exhibits the best tribological properties, in view of the lowest friction coefficient (0.077) and the smallest wear rate (2.34 × 10−15 m3/Nm). The incorporation of PAO@PSF microcapsules greatly reduces the friction coefficient of PVDF polymer. The tribological properties of fabricated PAO@PSF/PVDF composite will be expectable to that of the PVDF polymer with the dripping presence of lubricating oil.