Assessment of friction and wear as a function of the pressure applied to the CNT-filled silicone rubber nanocomposite pins

This study aims to determine how the incorporation of carbon nanotube (CNT) fillers can enhance the mechanical and tribological properties of silicon rubber (SiR). The nanocomposite is created by combining the materials in a three-roll mill, compressing the mixture at 170 degrees C, and then curing it for four hours at 200 degrees C. The tensile strength improves by up to 3% for every 0% to 7% increase in the CNT weight percentage, after which it remains constant. When the load is 3% CNT, the coefficient of friction (COF) is at its lowest, and it declines as the load increases. There is a suggestion that the effect of heat and the aggregation of nanoparticles is responsible for the increase in COF that happens as the fraction of CNTs increases. Researchers found that a change in the sliding velocity affected both the coefficient of friction and the specific wear rate.

Automated summary

The study investigates the effect of incorporating carbon nanotube (CNT) fillers on the mechanical and tribological properties of silicon rubber (SiR). The nanocomposite is prepared by mixing the materials in a three-roll mill, compressing the mixture, and curing it. The tensile strength increases by 3% for every 1% increase in CNT weight percentage up to 7%, after which it stabilizes. The coefficient of friction (COF) is lowest at 3% CNT load and decreases with increasing load. Heat and nanoparticle aggregation contribute to the increase in COF as CNT fraction increases. Changes in sliding velocity affect both COF and specific wear rate.