Tribological behavior and energy dissipation characteristics of nano-Al2O3-reinforced PTFE-PPS composites in sliding system

Nanoparticles are increasingly being used to improve the friction and wear performance of polymers. In this study, we investigated the tribological behavior and energy dissipation characteristics of nano-Al2O3-reinforced polytetrafluoroethylene-polyphenylene sulfide (PTFE-PPS) composites in a sliding system. The tribological behaviors of the composites were evaluated under different normal loads (100-300 N) at a high linear velocity (2 m/s) using a block-on-ring tester. Addition of the nano-Al2O3 filler improved the antiwear performance of the PTFE-PPS composites, and the friction coefficient increased slightly. The lowest wear rate was obtained when the nano-Al2O3 content was 3% (volume fraction). Further, the results indicated a linear correlation between wear and the amount of energy dissipated, even though the wear mechanism changed with the nano-Al2O3 content, independent of the normal load applied.