Tribological Properties of Different Types of Graphene Nanoplatelets as Additives for the Epoxy Resin

Mónica Campo,Alberto Jiménez-Suárez,Alejandro Ureña

doi:10.3390/app10124363

Mónica Campo, Alberto Jiménez-Suárez + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/app10124363

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Journal: Applied sciences	Publication Date: Jun 25, 2020
Citations: 9	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: King Juan Carlos University

Abstract

The use of graphene nanoplatelets for several purposes such as barrier properties and structural health monitoring is widely studied in polymer-based coating technology. Nevertheless, their extremely good effect on wear resistance makes them particularly interesting for coating technology. The effect of graphene nanoplatelets addition on the wear behaviour of an epoxy resin was analysed. The effects of graphene nanoplatelets content (0–8 wt.%), morphology and functionalization in wear behaviour were analysed by evaluating the main wear parameters of the nanocomposites studied. The morphology of the wear surfaces was analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and 3D optical profilometry in order to evaluate the mechanism and severity of wear. The results showed that the wear behaviour of the epoxy resin improved considerably with the addition of graphene, especially for higher contents. Moreover, as the wear mechanism depends on the morphology of graphene nanoplatelets, it was concluded that the proper selection of graphene can be made depending on the chosen application.

Highlights

The wear resistance of polymers is a problem because their properties usually lead to severe and quick wear while in service
The present study demonstrates the efficacy of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) as nanoreinforcements to decrease the wear of common engineering polymers such as epoxy resin
The graphene was homogeneously distributed throughout all the resin, and no areas free of nanorefoircement or porosity were observed

Summary

Introduction

The wear resistance of polymers is a problem because their properties usually lead to severe and quick wear while in service. This fact has led to research regarding the possibility of improving this property by the addition of different discontinuous reinforcements such as short fibres and particles. The addition of short glass/carbon fibres was proved as a good alternative under certain wear conditions [1,2]. The use of particles that may act as solid lubricants may be a good approach to improve the wear behaviour by creating films between the two counterparts during the test. Graphite can be used for this purpose [3,4]

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