Effect of different fillers on thermal conductivity, tribological properties of Polyamide 6

An influence of different filler types and filler content on the thermal and abrasive wear properties of polyamide-6 is investigated. Al2O3, MgO, two glass powders with different SiO2 contents, and natural zeolite powder were selected as fillers. The fillers individually were added to the polymer matrix in proportions of 50 and 70% by weight. A hybrid filler-containing composite was created by mixing PA6/70 wt% MgO and PA6/80 wt% zeolite. The results show that the thermal conductive enhancement factor is highest for PA6/70 wt% Al2O3 (145%) and PA6/hybrid fillers 75 wt% (92%). The Lewis-Nielsen and Reciprocity models agreed with the measured data with less than 26% deviation, except for the MgO-loaded composites. In the case of a hybrid composite, the additive model proves to be a good approximation. The abrasive effect of the different fillers was characterised by the volume loss of the steel pin using the pin-on-disc method. A new parameter is developed that considers the thermal conductivity enhancing effect of the fillers and their abrasive effect. In addition to ceramic fillers, aluminium-hydro-silicate, e.g. natural zeolite, and their mixtures offer new opportunities for the development of thermally conductive composites, as they are more economical to use in manufacturing processes.